tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49112744473135962412017-07-18T07:42:51.576-07:00Entertainment Blogmatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.comBlogger1519125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-84486512855316001182011-08-18T23:17:00.000-07:002011-08-18T23:20:03.261-07:00Ridley Scott To Direct New 'Blade Runner' Installment For Alcon Entertainment<span class="meta-author">By <a href="http://www.deadline.com/new-york/" title="Visit MIKE FLEMING’s website" rel="external">MIKE FLEMING</a></span>
<br />
<br /><div class="post-social"> <div class="social-google"> </div> <div class="social-fbshare"> </div> <div class="social-twshare"> </div> <span class="social-email"> </span> <span class=" social-print"> </span> <span class="post-comments-link hot-comments"> <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/ridley-scott-ready-to-direct-new-version-of-seminal-sci-fi-film-blade-runner/#comments" title="Comment on Ridley Scott To Direct New 'Blade Runner' Installment For Alcon Entertainment"><span>
<br /></span></a> </span> </div> <div class="post-content"> <img src="http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/mike-fleming-thumbnail.jpg" style="float:left;padding: 0 15px 15px 0;" alt="Mike Fleming" height="100" width="100" /><p><strong><a rel="attachment wp-att-159576" href="http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/ridley-scott-ready-to-direct-new-version-of-seminal-sci-fi-film-blade-runner/blade-runner/"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-159576" title="blade runner" src="http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/blade-runner_20110818150203.jpg" alt="" height="278" width="181" /></a>EXCLUSIVE</strong>: After revisiting his classic<em> Alien </em>with the upcoming 3D Fox film<em> Prometheus</em>, Ridley Scott is committing to direct and produce a film that advances his other seminal and groundbreaking science fiction film from the past. Scott has signed on to direct and produce a new installment of <em>Blade Runner</em>. He’ll make the film with Alcon Entertainment, producing with Alcon partners Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. This would be the most high profile project for Alcon since <em>The Blind Side</em>. They got control of the franchise earlier this year, but it's a whole different ballgame with Scott at the helm.</p> <p><a rel="attachment wp-att-159580" href="http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/ridley-scott-ready-to-direct-new-version-of-seminal-sci-fi-film-blade-runner/ridd/"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-159580" title="ridd" src="http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ridd_20110818150334-275x175.jpg" alt="" height="175" width="275" /></a>I’m not getting a clear sense at this point whether Scott intends to do a sequel or a prequel to the 1982 film that was loosely based on the Philip K. Dick novel <em>Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?</em> Also unclear is whether they start fresh or reach out to Harrison Ford. The original took place in dystopian Los Angeles in 2019, in which organic superhuman robots called replicants escaped and are hiding somewhere on earth. Ford played Richard Deckard, a burnt out blade runner assigned to hunt them down. His tired life gets altered when he himself falls for one of the replicants and struggles to keep her from being destroyed.</p> <p><a rel="attachment wp-att-159581" href="http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/ridley-scott-ready-to-direct-new-version-of-seminal-sci-fi-film-blade-runner/blade-3/"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-159581" title="blade" src="http://www-deadline-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/blade_20110818150359-275x159.jpg" alt="" height="159" width="275" /></a>The film was not a blockbuster when first released--it grossed $32 million in its original run--but the film has gained esteem over time. From the bleak but breathtaking visuals to the complex storyline and themes of mortality,<em> Blade Runner </em> became a classic. There has periodically been talks of doing a sequel but those never really went anywhere. After injecting state of the art 3D in reviving <em>Alien</em>, imagine what Scott can do with <em>Blade Runner</em>? Now, the filmmaker is ready to engage. Alcon has its output deal with Warner Bros, which remastered and released a 25<sup>th</sup> anniversary version on DVD and Blu-Ray in 2007. Warner Bros made the original film.<span id="more-159573"></span></p> <p>This is just the first step and the project will have to be written and it will likely evolve during that process. That's what happened on <em>Alien</em>, which began as a prequel to his 1979 classic. That changed when<em> Lost</em>'s Damon Lindelof <a href="http://www.deadline.com/2010/07/is-losts-damon-lindelof-boarding-alien/">came in </a>with a different take on the subject matter that imprinted on Scott and Fox executives. They wound up making <em>Prometheus</em>, which Fox considers an original but which I've heard is a cousin to the original <em>Alien </em>franchise. That film will be released June 8, 2012, with Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Patrick Wilson, Idris Elba and Guy Pearce starring. Scott is repped by WME.</p> <p>Here is the original<em> Blade Runner </em>trailer:</p> <p class="tagline">Click <a href="http://www.deadline.com/subscribe/">Here</a> for Deadline Email News Alerts - Subscribe Today!</p> </div><a href="http://www.deadline.com/2011/08/ridley-scott-ready-to-direct-new-version-of-seminal-sci-fi-film-blade-runner/">Original here</a>
<br />matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-75714495444445985512011-08-18T23:14:00.000-07:002011-08-18T23:16:59.589-07:007 Incredibly Surprising Roles From Typecasted ActorsBy <a href="http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/author/Ashe%20Cantrell"><span class="color-blue">Ashe Cantrell</span></a>
<br />
<br /><p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-120594" title="psycho 1998 gus van sant vince vaughn funny face" src="http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/images/psycho-1998-gus-van-sant-vince-vaughn-funny-face-e1313685847788.jpg" alt="" height="291" width="640" /></p> <p>Typecasting is <strong>death in Hollywood</strong>. If you keep doing the same kinds of roles over and over A) you’ll go insane and B) people will get sick of your shit. But the sad paradox of Hollywood is that once you’ve established yourself as one kind of actor, you’re basically stuck that way because that’s all people will send you scripts for, turning the whole thing into a spiral of bullshit.</p> <p>It’s extremely difficult to break out of, and it’s ended numerous careers. (Some for the better.) Some actors get fed up with it, and then you get the roles where those actors try to break out of their type (often unsuccessfully) and as time goes by they end up looking like movies from some creepy alternate dimension or something.</p> <p>But what’s also weird is going back through an <strong>actor’s early filmography</strong> and finding insane gems where they’re going totally against their later-established type. For some more famous examples, just look at Keanu Reeves in the <em>Bill &amp; Ted</em> movies or Sean Penn in <em>Fast Times at Ridgemont High</em>. Neither of those guys would even put their cigarette out on those scripts now, and that’s what makes seeing them in those roles hilarious.</p> <p>So now, in a far from comprehensive list, we’re going to look at some of the weirdest roles that actors have done outside of their typical repertoire.</p> <h3><strong><span id="more-120576"></span>Bruce Willis in <em>Death Becomes Her</em></strong></h3> <p>You may already know that pre-<em>Die Hard</em> <strong>Bruce Willis</strong> was a comedic television actor on a series called <em>Moonlighting.</em> Post-<em>Die Hard</em>, he was Bruce Fuckin’ Willis, action star and all-around genuine American badass. Later, thanks to <em>Pulp Fiction</em>, he became Bruce Willis, well-rounded dramatic actor and still occasional action/comedy star. But tucked in-between the first two <em>Die Hard</em> movies was an earlier attempt to break out of his John McClane-induced Hell, a black comedy called <em><strong>Death Becomes Her</strong>.</em></p> <p>Again, comedy roles were nothing new for Bruce, but what’s weird about this one is the fact that his character is a massive, <em>massive</em> dweeb. You want to reach through the screen and give his nebbish plastic surgeon character a wedgie the minute you see him. At least when he played a shrink in <em>The Sixth Sense,</em> you still got the feeling he could kick an ass or two if it came down to it.</p> <h3><strong>Seth Rogen in <em>Donnie Darko</em></strong></h3> <p>When you think of <strong>Seth Rogen</strong>, you think of the doofish guy who sold you weed in college, because <em>Seth Rogen probably really did sell you weed in college</em>. (This is true even if you’ve never smoked weed or been to college in your life.) He’s the best buddy character in like, 90% of comedies released in the last five years. He even made <em>The Green Hornet </em>into a bromance, for God’s sake.</p> <p>But before all of that, he played a fairly minor role as a total jerk-ass bully in <em><strong>Donnie Darko</strong>. </em>It’s such a small part that it probably wouldn’t even stand out, except that he’s the guy who ends up uttering the (in)famous line “I like your boobs,” to a girl he’s taunting. Really, Seth? Now <em>that </em>is some smooth talking. Get you some, big fella.</p> <h3><strong>Vince Vaughn in <em>Psycho</em></strong></h3> <p><strong>Vince Vaughn</strong> is a man who wears many hats: Idiot man-child in <em>Dodgeball</em>, guy who used to slum around in Jon Favreau movies before Favreau started doing stuff like <em>Iron Man</em>, guy who got to schtup Jennifer Aniston in real life, guy who’s only done like five movies since he stopped schtupping Jennifer Aniston, and so on.</p> <p>But in Gus Van Sant’s ill-advised <strong><em>Psycho</em></strong> remake, Vince Vaughn got to play none other than Norman Bates himself. And the weirdest part? He’s actually <em>really good at it.</em> Like, holy shit, that guy is terrifying. Just seeing how weird Vaughn is in the role is pretty much the only thing about that remake that makes it kinda worth watching. Unless you like seeing otherwise talented actors trying to channel forty-year-old performances, I mean.</p> <h3><strong>Betty White in <em>Lake Placid</em></strong></h3> <p>Betty White has seen a kind of resurgence of late, thanks to weird, nostalgic people on the internet. Before social media campaigns turned her into an odd, charming old woman, she was… an odd, charming old woman. Okay, obviously nothing’s changed. <strong>Betty White</strong>‘s pretty much always played the kooky elderly woman role, something she seems to do in real life as well. When we watch Betty White, it’s like she’s not even playing a role. That’s just her on screen, being herself.</p> <p>She’s kinda like your grandma, except famous and she didn’t lock you in cupboards when you misbehaved as a kid. That’s why it’s kinda odd to see her in a movie like <strong><em>Lake Placid</em></strong>, playing a woman who claims to have murdered her husband, feeds and cares for a gigantic crocodile, calls people things like “fuck-meat”, and tells a police officer to suck her dick. That’s more like the grandma most of us know. (It’s just a joke, grandma. Don’t lock me in the cupboard.)</p> <h3><strong>Michael Madsen in <em>Free Willy</em></strong></h3> <p>Approximately 99% of people only remember the following about <em>Free Willy</em>: Michael Jackson. Whale. Cover art. That’s it. That’s why it may very well blow your mind to discover that <em>Michael Madsen is totally the kid’s dad in that movie </em>(and then it will be further blown when I tell you that that kid is now 31 years old). And he’s not an ex-cop dad who beats his kids, or a crazy dad who sits around with a shotgun. No, he’s totally a supporting, loving foster dad. This is the same <strong>Michael Madsen</strong> who played an ear-cutting jewel thief in <em>Reservoir Dogs</em> and Bill’s loser brother Budd in <em>Kill Bill. </em></p> <p>Sadly, the only decent footage on YouTube is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJQa5G1jHFA">3 second scene where he punches the bad guy</a> (played by Michael Ironside) toward the end of the film. Just watch it and pretend that it cuts away before he ties the guy up and drops a car battery on his junk for an hour.</p> <h3><strong>Ronald Reagan in <em>The Killers</em></strong></h3> <p>Good old Uncle Ronnie’s become a bit of a legend these days. The current crop of American conservatives love to reference him and his policies to win points with the Baby Boomer generation. Naturally, no one’s forgotten that President Reagan was once a popular film star, although most folks will probably tell you that he spent a lot of time doing Westerns and kissing monkeys, nothing real crazy.</p> <p>However, in 1964′s <em><strong>The Killers</strong>, </em><strong>Ronald Reagan</strong> did something he had never done before or since: he totally played a bad guy. (Keep it down, grouchy, politically-minded people. We’re all just here to talk movies.) And not just any bad guy, either– he played a ruthless, bad ass mob boss, the kind of guy who was apparently okay with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af0Yei2sAbE">giving a dame what-for when she got too mouthy</a> or whatever. Poor examples of gender relations aside, Reagan actually did a fairly impressive job. If that whole “politics” thing hadn’t worked out for him, he could have been Robert DeNiro before there even was a Robert DeNiro.</p> <h3><strong>Sir Alec Guinness in <em>Murder by Death</em></strong></h3> <p><strong>Sir Alec Guinness</strong> (The “sir” is mandatory) is known for a single role more so than anyone else on this list: Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. A father figure to millions of lonesome, sweaty nerds, Obi-Wan is the embodiment of calm, peaceful wisdom. He is Luke Skywalker’s and, by proxy the audience’s, first real glimpse at the vast universe of the <em>Star Wars </em>saga.</p> <p>But what a lot of people outside of England don’t realize is that Sir Alec was an accomplished actor for many decades before being cast as Obi-Wan. And, in perhaps one of his oddest roles, he played a blind butler in <em><strong>Murder by Death</strong>, </em>a slapstick comedy written by Neil Simon. Most of his laughs in the film come from his interactions with the deaf-mute maid, as seen in the clip above. It’s kind of disconcerting to see him unable to use Force Sight to find his way around.</p><p><a href="http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/features/7-incredibly-surprising-roles-from-typecasted-actors.php">Original here</a>
<br /></p>
<br />matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-38084031424198361012011-08-18T22:58:00.000-07:002011-08-18T23:13:47.326-07:00New Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Season 4 Trailer<p>Lucasfilm and Cartoon Network have announced that <a class="autolink" href="http://tv.ign.com/objects/826/826173.html">Star Wars: The Clone Wars</a> – <a class="autolink" href="http://tv.ign.com/objects/105/105071.html">Season 4</a> will premiere on Friday, September 16th at 8:00pm. The new season, referred to be the title "Battle Lines", will debut with a one-hour premiere, comprised of two episodes: "<a class="autolink" href="http://tv.ign.com/objects/115/115725.html">Water War</a>" and "<a class="autolink" href="http://tv.ign.com/objects/115/115726.html">Gungan Attack</a>," which are the first two parts of a three-part aquatic-themed story arc, which includes The Clone Wars debut of <a class="autolink" href="http://stars.ign.com/objects/142/14273277.html">Captain Ackbar</a> – before the Mon Calamari leader becomes the trap-phobic Admiral we know from Return of the Jedi.
<br />
<br /></p><center><a href="http://tv.ign.com/articles/118/1183191p1.html"><b>Comic-Con: What to Expect in Clone Wars: Season 4</b></a></center>
<br />A new trailer for The Clone Wars has been released as well, hinting at some very epic events in the new season, including glimpses of <a class="autolink" href="http://stars.ign.com/objects/142/14233158.html">Ahsoka</a> vs. Death Watch and <a class="autolink" href="http://stars.ign.com/objects/142/14229261.html">Asajj Ventress</a> taking on <a class="autolink" href="http://stars.ign.com/objects/923/923960.html">General Grievous</a> - along with more of a focus on <a class="autolink" href="http://stars.ign.com/objects/919/919548.html">Anakin Skywalker</a> taking some turns that, well… We just don't think will end well. Check it out below!
<br />
<br /><div style="width:468px"><a href="http://www.ign.com/videos/2011/08/16/star-wars-clone-wars-season-4-trailer"><center>More Star Wars: The Clone Wars Videos</center></a></div>
<br /> <div class="article-content" style="margin-top:-15px"> <ul style="list-style-position: inside; padding-left: 12px; margin-left: 0pt; "><li><a href="http://tv.ign.com/index/previews.html">More Television Previews</a></li><li><a href="http://tv.ign.com/">Latest Television News, Reviews, and Videos</a></li></ul><a href="http://tv.ign.com/articles/118/1188164p1.html">Original here</a>
<br /></div>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-15003012520746860482011-08-18T22:56:00.000-07:002011-08-18T22:58:13.037-07:00Spy Kids director takes film to a new dimension with Aroma-Scope<h4 class="heavyseriflbl sm byline author vcard">DAVE McGINN </h4>
<br /><div class="articlecopy s6of12 fl entry-content"> <p> A transvestite who’s married to a pornographer may be an odd inspiration for one of the summer’s biggest kids movies, but you just have to scratch the surface a little bit more to find out what’s right under your nose. </p> <p> Robert Rodriguez’s <em>Spy Kids</em> films have always been “a scrappily innovative series,” says the director. The premise alone made the first film a hit. The second was the first time Rodriguez gave up film to shoot in digital. The third helped to usher in the current bonanza of 3D movies. So when it came time for the next instalment, Rodriguez knew he had to kick it up a notch. </p> <p> “When it came time to do <em>Spy Kids 4</em>, I thought, we can’t just go do 3D again. We have to keep with the [innovative nature of] the series. Like Nigel Tufnel would say in <em>Spinal Tap</em>, ‘One louder! We have to do one more thing and go to 11!” </p> <p> And that’s when the pornographer and the transvestite entered the picture. Well, more like they wafted into Rodriguez’s mind. Thinking of ways to maintain the series’ tradition of innovation, Rodriguez says he remembered the 1981 John Waters film <em>Polyester</em>, about a transvestite who is married to a pornographer, yes, but more importantly a film in which the audience was able to experience various smells from the movie – including roses, flatulence, skunk, gasoline and dirty shoes – thanks to scratch ’n’ sniff cards. </p> <p> </p><div class="inlinerelation inlineimg clearfix "><div class="articlephotoholder"><img src="http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01309/WEB-smellovisio_1309170cl-6.jpg" alt="The Aroma-Scope card: Movie-goers wil be given a card and can scratch-and-sniff odours on cue during the film." height="365" width="460" /></div></div> <p> Waters called the technology that accompanied his movie Odorama. Rodriguez has dubbed his Aroma-Scope. </p> <p> “The idea itself was really fun and easy to do. I wanted to do something in 4D where again the audience got something for free … and it would just be an added value to the movie and an added experience,” Rodriguez says. </p> <p> While Aroma-Scope is being put front and centre in the film’s marketing, even Rodriguez says it’s not something that’s likely to become a trend at the movies. Judging by the long history of failed attempts to make smells an added dimension at the movies, there’s a very good chance he’s correct. But there’s no doubt that olfactory gimmicks such as this one fit well within children’s movies, and with films reaching the limit of what’s visually possible, some believe there’s a chance smell-o-vision could become film’s next frontier – if only we could get the technology right. </p> <p> “It’s a fun one-off. We’re not going to convert all of our movies and all of our cinema experience to having a smelling component any time soon,” says John Fithian, president of the U.S.-based National Association of Theatre Owners. </p> <p> Rodriguez himself doesn’t expect smells to be swirling through many movies. “I think this is very particular,” he says. </p> <p> But plenty of films have tried, and failed, to give a pungent push to that other dimension. </p> <p> “This idea has been around since practically the inception of movies,” says Patrick Kiger, co-author of <em>Oops: 20 Life Lessons from the Fiascoes that Shaped America</em>. In 1906, for instance, a theatre in Pennsylvania dipped cotton wool in rose oil and put it in front of an electric fan during a newsreel about the Rose Bowl. </p> <p> </p><div class="inlinerelation inlineimg clearfix "><div class="articlephotoholder"><img src="http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01309/WEB-smellovisio_1309169cl-6.jpg" alt="Jessica Alba in a scene from &quot;Spy Kids 4&quot;" height="258" width="460" /></div></div> <p> Waters’s film was a sly parody of <em>Scent of Mystery</em>, a film that introduced an invention billed as “Glorious Smell-O-Vision” in 1960. “First they moved (1895)! Then they talked (1927). Now they smell!” proclaimed ads for the movie. Various smells were pumped into the theatre during the movie: freshly baked bread, a salty ocean breeze, pipe tobacco. </p> <p> Problem was, the movie wasn’t all that good, and the odours often reached viewers well after the action on screen, and was accompanied by a hissing sound.
<br /></p><div class="articlecopy s6of12 fl entry-content"> <p> “It’s an old idea, but it’s been difficult to find a way to do it effectively over the years,” Kiger says. </p> <p> Other movies have tried, however. In 2003, the makers of <em>Rugrats Go Wild</em> claimed the scratch ’n’ sniff cards viewers inhaled during the movie were an homage to Waters. In 2005, Japanese theatres presented the Colin Farrell flick <em>The New World</em> with smell. The scents were emitted from under the audience’s seats, with a floral smell accompanying love scenes and a mixture of rosemary and peppermint hitting one’s nose during the film’s tear-jerker moments. </p> <p> Aroma-Scope will see audiences given a card that has eight smells. When a number flashes on screen, you rub the corresponding number on the card and take a whiff, explains Rodriguez. “There’s some really great smells, really rich smells. And then there’s some surprising smells,” he says. “We have a spy baby and a spy dog, so you can imagine that the smells get pretty out there.” </p> <p> While it’s not likely to be part of more mature movies any time soon, it’s ideal for children, especially a generation that has grown up expecting interactivity. </p> <p> “This kind of helps bridge that gap I think between watching a movie and being part of it,” Rodriguez says. “Kids identify so much with these kids on screen. Anything that makes them feel more like a part of the action, more like they’re doing the same thing as the kids on screen, it really helps create that bond even stronger.” </p> <p> With film pushing the limits of what’s visually possible, scent may be the next frontier, Kiger says. </p> <p> “We’ve reached the point I think where there’s so much overkill with visual imagery that it’s impossible to wow people any more,” he says. “Once people reach a threshold where you can’t do anything more visual that’s going to amaze them, maybe you’re going to need all these other things.” </p> <p> Rodriguez jokes that he could do a <em>Machete</em> movie in Aroma-Scope. And though for the moment it’s simply a neat way of making a kid’s movie a little more enjoyable, he doesn’t rule out the possibility filmmakers may be going after our noses down the road. </p> <p> “This is something just really fun. It’s in the arsenal now, though.”
<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/movies/spy-kids-director-takes-film-to-a-new-dimension-with-aroma-scope/article2132598/page2/">Original here</a>
<br /></p> </div> </div>
<br />matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-23720640029295796402011-07-11T00:39:00.000-07:002011-07-11T00:51:09.888-07:006 Mind Blowing Ways 'Starship Troopers' Predicted the Future<span class="bylineArticle"></span><br /><br /><div class="fbSendWrapper"><div class="FacebookSend"> <span></span> </div></div> <figure> <img style="width: 399px; height: 83px;" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/0/1/1/67011.jpg?v=1" /> </figure> <div style="display: block; position: absolute; top: 0px;" id="persistent-share"><div id="pshare-container"><div class="pshare-button ps-facebook-button"><a style="text-decoration: none;" name="fb_share" type="box_count" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cracked.com%2Farticle_19259_6-mind-blowing-ways-starship-troopers-predicted-future.html&amp;t=6%20Mind%20Blowing%20Ways%20%27Starship%20Troopers%27%20Predicted%20the%20Future%20%7C%20Cracked.com&amp;src=sp"><span class="fb_share_size_Small fb_share_count_wrapper"><span></span><span class="fb_share_count_nub_top "></span><span class="fb_share_count fb_share_count_top"><span class="fb_share_count_inner">10K</span></span><span class="FBConnectButton FBConnectButton_Small" style="cursor: pointer;"><span class="FBConnectButton_Text">Share</span></span></span></a><br /></div><div class="pshare-button ps-digg-button"><span class="db-wrapper db-clear db-medium"><span><span class="db-container"><span class="db-body db-medium"><span class="db-count"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div></div></div> <section> <p>We really hope the war ends soon. For one, we want our troops home and safe, as soon as possible. But, as an on-the-side benefit, we'd really like to put an end to those damn war movies that keep coming out. From dramas like <em>Lions For Lambs</em> and <em>The Hurt Locker</em>, to gritty documentaries like <em>Restrepo</em> and <em>No End In Sight</em>, to savagely critical works like <em>Fahrenheit 9/11</em> and <em>Starship Troopers</em>, it seems like more and more sandy and depressing war movies are taking over our cine-</p> <p>What?</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/2/9/66929_v1.jpg" height="374" width="277" /></p> <p>Yes, <em>Starship Troopers</em>. The campy anti-war satire about a race from a distant, desert land, who out of nowhere strikes a civilian target in a way we didn't think was possible, leading to heavy-handed patriotic propaganda, and a headlong rush into a war with a poorly thought-out strategy that results in a quagmire. You don't have to agree with the message to get that it's clearly a satirical send-up of the War on Terror. If anything, it's <em>too</em> on-the-nose.</p> <p>What's that, you say? The movie was made in 1997, four years before 9/11? Hmmm. That is a problem. We mean, we're not saying Paul Verhoeven traveled forward in time and then traveled <em>back</em> to film a commentary on a future war (because that would be an absolutely HORRIBLE waste of time travel), but... well, yeah, maybe we're saying he did that. Look how they line up:</p> <div class="subheading"> <div class="Title">#6.</div> <div class="Title2" style="margin-left: 0px;">The Attack</div> </div> <p align="center"><img style="width: 400px; height: 133px;" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/0/66930.jpg?v=1" /></p> <p><span class="Title">In The Film:</span></p> <p>The movie follows Johnny Rico, a dumb jock from a weirdly Aryan-looking Buenos Aires of the future, as he signs up for the Mobile Infantry to protect the human race from the Arachnids, hive-minded, insectoid aliens. The war Johnny is training for is purely theoretical for the first 50 minutes of the film and then, suddenly, <em>war is declared</em>. What's the trigger? An asteroid strike on Johnny's home city of Bueno Aires, which destroys the city and kills over eight and a half million people. This, for the humans, is an absolute shock to the system, a blow made all the more devastating by the fact that the Arachnids don't have a colony within fifty thousand light years of Earth.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/1/66931_v1.jpg" height="237" width="385" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">In space terms, that's this much.</span></p> <p>That they shot an asteroid from halfway across the galaxy and managed to hit, not only another planet, but the planet they actually aimed at, is not just impressive, its goddamned miraculous. Especially considering that the Arachnids don't seem to have much knowledge of math and interstellar travel -- their species spreads to other planets by shooting their spores into space and hoping for the best. In fact it's so amazing that it's either a plot hole or a surprisingly subtle plot <em>point</em>- there's a theory among <em>Starship Troopers</em> fans that the attack was either a random collision that the government used as an excuse for war, or a <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/StarshipTroopers">deliberate attack by the government</a> on its own people to justify attacking the bugs.</p> <p>Either way, humanity promptly loses its shit and declares war on all bugs everywhere.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/2/66932_v1.jpg" height="208" width="379" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"Well this seems easy enough."</span></p> <p><span class="Title">In Real Life:</span></p> <p>You can see right away how the plot mimics real events. Before 9/11, the threat of Islamic terror was lingering out there, but wasn't immediate -- just like the bugs in the movie. Then there's an attack on a civilian target that comes as just as much a shock to the system, as it demonstrated a capability no one thought the terrorists had. The US promptly lost its shit and declared war on <em>the very notion of terrorism</em>, entering into an armed conflict against an abstract concept like only America can.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/5/66935_v1.jpg" height="208" width="373" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"And after we beat Terrorism, we're gonna beat Drugs! Then we're going to take on Sadness!"</span></p> <p>There are some crucial differences between the movie and real life. For one thing, plus, in war time here on Real Earth, Denise Richards is probably the <em>last</em> person we'd call for support, (assuming the war was not being fought by boners).</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/6/66936_v1.jpg" height="208" width="372" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"We need at least six more boners to the frontline. <i>Richards</i>, get out there!"</span></p> <p>Also, 9/11 was obviously not some random coincidence or inside job. Sure, in a shitty movie, fans will wildly speculate all the time and talk about how the government attacked Buenos Aires on purpose and blamed the bugs, but no one in <em>real</em> life would look at 9/11 and whip up a bunch of crazy, nonsensical, conspiracy theories about "what <em>really</em> happened, right?</p> <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_conspiracy_theories">Right?</a></p> <div class="subheading"> <div class="Title">#5.</div> <div class="Title2" style="margin-left: 0px;">The First Assault</div> </div> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/3/66933_v1.jpg" height="203" width="610" /></p> <p><span class="Title">In The Film:</span></p> <p>The humans quickly mobilize to destroy the Arachnids, sending their space fleet to the Arachnid homeworld of Klendathu. They recklessly charge in, with little thought given to tactics or battle plans. And so what? The enemy is bugs. Who needs tactics?</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/9/66939_v1.jpg" height="208" width="367" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"I need a really big magnifying glass, stat!"</span></p> <p>Well, the bugs have other ideas. Turns out there is one breed of Arachnid that can unload a huge, steaming pile of blue plasma right on into space. Though they don't have sophisticated aiming capabilities, just squirting plasma upwards makes short work of a few human spaceships, while the Arachnid foot soldiers for the Mobile Infantry to retreat in panic from an enemy who was better prepared, better armed and in greater numbers than they expected.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/1/66941_v1.jpg" height="208" width="362" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"The giant, armored bugs are defending themselves somehow!"</span></p> <p>But this movie is <em>crazy</em>, it was directed by the guy who directed <em>Showgirls.</em> No <em>real</em> military would be as misinformed and unprepared as the military in a move about fighting massive, shrieking bug-monsters, right?</p> <p><span class="Title">In Real Life:</span></p> <p>Operation Anaconda was the first major engagement of the War On Terror. The idea was to attack a force of around 200 Al Qaeda soldiers in the Shahi-Kot Valley from the west, causing them to flee into the waiting arms of more US soldiers in the east, in what's known as a "Hammer and Anvil" strategy.</p> <p>Just one problem: Al Qaeda did not flee, but stood their ground.</p> <p>Just one other problem: There were not 200 enemy soldiers in the valley; there were up to five times that amount.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/5/9/66959_v1.jpg" height="225" width="336" /><span style="color: rgb(144, 144, 144); display: block; margin-top: -10px; height: 5px; width: 336px; text-align: right;font-size:78%;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Anaconda-helicopter.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></p> <p>Just one further other problem: the US military planners had assumed the enemy were armed with machine guns; they actually had mortars, rifles and rockets, and the planners assumed that Al Qaeda were in the valley, (they were in caves in the mountains surrounding the valley), and a convoy broke off from the main "TF Hammer" force to reach an observation point they'd been assigned to. And an AC-130, which was supposed to be providing firing and recon support during the battle thought they were an Al Qaeda convoy and attacked them. This friendly fire battle resulted in <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2002-10-29/us/afghan.friendly.fire_1_friendly-fire-mortar-fire-afghan-forces?_s=PM:US">the first casualty of the operation.</a></p> <p>The rest of TF Hammer came under heavy mortar fire from the prepared and entrenched Al Qaeda, and their air support turned out to consist of six bombs, and their attack didn't actually make it into the valley, meaning that TF Anvil, arriving via helicopter, did not close the trap as had been intended, but instead found a trap closing around them, as they were attacked by an enemy who was <a href="http://www.2ndbn5thmar.com/CoTTP/AnacondaNaylor.pdf">better prepared, better armed, in greater numbers, and from a better-fortified position than they expected</a>.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/5/6/66956_v1.jpg" height="208" width="368" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">No word on whether they had massive pincers and exoskeletons.</span></p> <div class="subheading"> <div class="Title">#4.</div> <div class="Title2" style="margin-left: 0px;">Shock and Awe</div> </div> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/4/66934.jpg?v=2" height="203" width="610" /></p> <p><span class="Title">In The Film:</span></p> <p>After being unpleasantly surprised by the Arachnids' willingness to fight back and defend their home, the human military in <em>Starship Troopers</em> come up with a new battle plan: "Fleet glasses the planet, MI mops up." Basically, rather than wading in and fighting whatever they find, they first bombard the planet with explosives, making it easier for the Mobile Infantry to take out the survivors. We see one of these aerial bombardments in action, not on the planet they invaded originally, but on <em>a completely different planet</em> called Tango Urilla. The jet fighters fly overhead and drop bombs, the bugs scream in terror and try to run away, but get blown to pieces in their thousands.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/2/66942_v1.jpg" height="208" width="367" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Space travel has obviously not yet equipped them with super-nukes.</span></p> <p>Johnny and his squad then walk in and successfully wipe out the remnants, before being sent off to yet another planet called Planet P, where the rest of the film takes place.</p> <p><span class="Title">In Real Life:</span></p> <p>Oh come on. You already know the real-life version of this, it's part of America's national language by now. Basically, <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/01/24/eveningnews/main537928.shtml">after being unpleasantly surprised by the enemy's willingness to fight back in Afghanistan, the American military came up with a new battle plan for their invasion of Iraq</a>: Shock and Awe. Essentially, they bombarded Baghdad with explosives, with the intention of demoralizing Saddam Hussein's military out of actually fighting.</p> <p>In both cases, that's a disastrous first engagement as a result of underestimating the enemy, and an attempt to compensate next time around with heavy aerial bombardment.</p> <p>Also? Here are those planets the military attacked in <em>Troopers...</em></p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/3/66943_v1.jpg" height="351" width="323" /></p> <p>...aaand here we are...</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/4/66944_v1.jpg" height="236" width="345" /><span style="color: rgb(144, 144, 144); display: block; margin-top: -10px; height: 5px; width: 345px; text-align: right;font-size:78%;" >Getty</span></p> </section><br /><div class="fbSendWrapper"><div class="FacebookSend"> <span></span> </div></div> <figure> <img style="width: 399px; height: 83px;" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/0/1/1/67011.jpg?v=1" /> </figure> <div style="display: block; position: absolute; top: 0px;" id="persistent-share"><div id="pshare-container"><div class="pshare-button ps-facebook-button"><a style="text-decoration: none;" name="fb_share" type="box_count" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cracked.com%2Farticle_19259_6-mind-blowing-ways-starship-troopers-predicted-future.html&amp;src=sp"><span class="fb_share_size_Small fb_share_count_wrapper"><span></span><span class="fb_share_count_nub_top "></span><span class="fb_share_count fb_share_count_top"><span class="fb_share_count_inner">10K</span></span><span class="FBConnectButton FBConnectButton_Small" style="cursor: pointer;"><span class="FBConnectButton_Text">Share</span></span></span></a><br /></div><div class="pshare-button ps-digg-button"><span class="db-wrapper db-clear db-medium"><span><span class="db-container"><span class="db-body db-medium"><span class="db-count">223</span><a class="db-anchor">digg</a></span></span></span></span></div><div class="pshare-button ps-email"><a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_19259_6-mind-blowing-ways-starship-troopers-predicted-future_p2.html#"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/ui/shared/images/global/icons/email-btn.jpg" alt="Email" /></a></div></div></div> <section> <div class="subheading"> <div class="Title">#3.</div> <div class="Title2" style="margin-left: 0px;">Prisoners</div> </div> <p align="center"><img style="width: 403px; height: 134px;" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/8/66938_v1.jpg" /></p> <p><span class="Title">In The Film:</span></p> <p>Now, here's where we have to make something completely clear: the whole point of <em>Starship Troopers</em> is that the humans <em>may not be the good guys</em>. Earth's government has clearly been taken over by Fascism, and the propaganda is clearly meant to be a satirical mockery of wartime culture in the same way that Verhoven's <em>Robocop</em> was meant to be a mockery of the greed and violence of the Reagan 80s. When we say that Verhoven accidentally made a War on Terror parody with <em>Starship Troopers</em>, we're not saying that that post-9/11 America was just as bad as the Nazi uniform-wearing protagonists of that movie. It'd be like saying the Reagan administration literally turned us all into murderous psychopaths and cyborgs.</p> <p>So in the film, events are broken up by propaganda newsreels which give an insight into the human society depicted in <em>Starship Troopers</em>, and which drop several heavy hints that these aren't actually the good guys that we're rooting for here. One of these hints comes in the form of casual prisoner abuse. Check it out at 0:50:</p> <p align="center"> </p> <p>Yeah, that's Doogie Howser showing you how to wound and properly kill an Arachnid soldier. An enemy combatant that they have captured, and keep in a cage, and mutilate and execute live on camera. Then, look at what they do to this brain bug they catch at the end:</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/5/66945_v1.jpg" height="376" width="347" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"After tireless research, our top scientists have discovered that the bugs hate this."</span></p> <p>That thing outwitted the humans earlier in the movie, it's capable of planning and reasoning...</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/6/66946_v1.jpg" height="208" width="373" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">It even has a face! That or it walks everywhere backwards.</span></p> <p>And there they are, shoving huge sharp things into its mouth(?) and broadcasting the footage with evident glee. It's only shown briefly, but these scenes of bug torture are there to tweak the audience. We're supposed to feel a twinge there -- even though this is the enemy, the good guys are still torturing their captives, without a second thought.</p> <p><span class="Title">In Real Life:</span></p> <p>Remember the Abu Ghraib scandal? Sure you do: that was when those photos surfaced of American soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners pretty horribly. It was a dark time for us, and the photos are pretty grim, so rather than show them here, we will instead show you these spoofs from the sitcom <em>Arrested Development</em>:</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/9/66949_v1.jpg" height="663" width="370" /></p> <p>Of course, unlike the folks in <em>Starship Troopers</em>, we, the public, were horrified by this, (because we're real people, and have never been and will never be directed by Paul Verhoeven to do anything).</p> <p>This is where our assertion that Paul Verhoven is a time traveler starts to look pretty good. If you were doing a movie about war in general, or doing a satire of any previous war, why would you include a bit about how the supposed Good Guys treat their prisoners at all? There's so much more prominent stuff you can cover. But if you're satirizing the War on Terror? You'd <em>need</em> to bring up the prisoner thing at some point. Which is weird because, again, we're talking about a movie that came out <em>four years before</em> the War on Terror and one which was directed by <em>the guy who made <em>Showgirls.</em></em></p> <p>By the way, it's a minor point, but as we said, the whole latter part of <em>Starship Troopers</em> revolves around the humans trying to locate and capture the elusive brain bug. It became a major objective for the whole war effort. And they eventually do find it, hiding in a cave. A hole, you might say. With a bunch of critters that look like spiders. A... spider hole?</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/7/66947.jpg?v=1" height="308" width="240" /><span style="color: rgb(144, 144, 144); display: block; margin-top: -10px; height: 5px; width: 240px; text-align: right;font-size:78%;" >Getty</span></p> <div class="subheading"> <div class="Title">#2.</div> <div class="Title2" style="margin-left: 0px;">The Propaganda</div> </div> <p align="center"><img style="width: 400px; height: 133px;" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/3/7/66937_v1.jpg" /></p> <p><span class="Title">In The Film:</span></p> <p>The universe of <i>Starship Troopers</i> is saturated with propaganda, mainly dispensed by the newsreels, of which there are six in the movie, (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiU_NmYUy7U&amp;feature=related">here</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp7sN5Njo1o&amp;feature=fvwrel">here</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPSc8jejKcA&amp;feature=fvwrel">here</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQGuGOLSwVw&amp;feature=related">here</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLEV2cXagNg&amp;feature=fvwrel">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz5iyEcIjbU&amp;feature=watch_response">here</a>). All of Verhoeven's most insultingly heavy-handed satire happens in these newsreels. They're all aggressively patriotic, <em>so</em> patriotic that it almost borders on strongly encouraged racism.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/8/66948_v1.jpg" height="204" width="373" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"The only good bug is a dead bug!"- Actual line from movie.</span></p> <p><span class="Title">In Real Life:</span></p> <p>Of course, we don't have a Fascist government, and if the American government did release cheerleading newsreels, people would just point and laugh. No, in the real world, effective propaganda has to come from someplace other than the government.</p> <p>Sure, we could point out the Fox News cheerleading of the war effort, and the anchors saying the US military was simply trying to "spread love" to the Middle East:</p> <p align="center"> </p> <p>But that's not as openly goofy and stupid as the propaganda in <em>Starship Troopers</em>. No, to find that, we have to go to the world of country music. Or, to quote Charlie Daniels, "This ain't no rag, it's a flag, and we don't wear it on our heads." Enjoy:</p> <p align="center"> </p> <p>Or, we could go with the even less subtle Tobey Keith tune, "Courtesy of the Red White and Blue." Sample lyrics:</p> <p><em>And the eagle will fly and it's gonna be hell,<br />When you hear Mother Freedom start ringing her bell.<br />And it'll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you.<br />Ah, brought to you, courtesy of the red, white and blue.<br />Oh, justice will be served and the battle will rage:<br />This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage.<br />An' you'll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A.<br />'Cos we'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way.</em></p> <p align="center"><em> </em></p> <p>Now compare those videos to the newsreels from <em>Starship Troopers</em>. Holy shit, they make the fictional propaganda look even-handed and intelligent.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/8/5/6/67856.jpg?v=1" height="304" width="473" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">"My only regret is that I could not fit more flags on my stage."</span></p> <div class="subheading"> <div class="Title">#1.</div> <div class="Title2" style="margin-left: 0px;">The End</div> </div> <p align="center"><img style="width: 400px; height: 133px;" src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/4/0/66940_v1.jpg" /></p> <p><span class="Title">In The Film:</span></p> <p>The film does not end with the end of the war. It doesn't end with a peace treaty, or the bugs surrendering.</p> <p>No, the film ends with Neil Patrick Harris explaining to the main character that, now that they have a brain bug, they'll soon be able to understand how the Arachnids think, and confidently predicting that this is the turning point of the war. This is followed by a final recruitment ad that ends the movie.</p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/6/0/66960_v1.jpg" height="208" width="369" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">But not before that guard from <i>The Shawshank Redemption</i> saves the day.</span></p> <p>They may say they're winning, but the final message is the government desperately begging for soldiers, with key phrases like "we need soldiers!" and the slightly desperate-sounding reminder that "Service guarantees citizenship!"</p> <p>In other words, the truth is that either the humans are fighting a losing battle against the Arachnids, or they're stuck in an unpleasant stalemate: the humans too technologically advanced to be beaten back, the Arachnids too entrenched and determined to give up. The optimism of the main characters at the end of the movie amounts to nothing more than a premature, presumptuous, and ultimately false declaration of victory.</p> <p><span class="Title">In Real Life:</span></p> <p align="center"><img src="http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/5/7/66957_v1.jpg" height="286" width="292" /><span style="color: rgb(144, 144, 144); display: block; margin-top: -10px; height: 5px; width: 292px; text-align: right;font-size:78%;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bush_mission_accomplished.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Ah.</span></p> <p>Seriously now, is it just us? The events of the movie match up beat for beat, exactly the way an anti-war satirist would draw it up. But even weirder, we can't find another war that matches up as well (that is, one a non-time traveling Paul Verhoven could have had in mind). Vietnam? That war didn't kick off with a sudden attack on a civilian target. World War II? That didn't turn into an unexpected quagmire. Neither did the first gulf war (ie Operation Desert Storm). Nothing else matches up.<span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span></p> <p>See, that's the thing about <em>Starship</em><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"><img src="img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><em> Troopers</em> -- to this day, lots of people don't realize it's a satire. They think it's just a really shitty action movie that does a bad job of building sympathy for the protagonists. The reason so many people don't get the satire is because at the time it wasn't clear what war it was satirizing ("A quagmire in the desert, triggered by an attack on the homeland? Shit, when has that happened?") and that's because the war it was satirizing hadn't happened yet.</p> <p>Because Paul Verhoven is a time traveler</p><p><a href="http://www.cracked.com/article_19259_6-mind-blowing-ways-starship-troopers-predicted-future.html">Original here</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></section>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-66443102969335740152009-12-20T03:34:00.000-08:002009-12-20T03:37:55.740-08:00Top 15 Seinfeld Food Related Episodes<small>Posted by: <strong>Eating The Road<br /><br /></strong></small><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/Sy4MB11p1FI/AAAAAAAAB1A/Sz-CP2t446Y/s1600-h/seinfeld.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/Sy4MB11p1FI/AAAAAAAAB1A/Sz-CP2t446Y/s400/seinfeld.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417280627544806482" border="0" /></a>It’s been debated heavily what exactly Seinfeld is really all about. Most come to the conclusion that it’s really about nothing. I have have my own opinion. I think it’s all about food. Think about it, there is food in every single episode and in a lot of cases it plays an integral part. <p>You really don’t have to look any further than Jerry’s cereal stash to know that they are in love with food. They dine at Monk’s seemingly for most meals and they are constantly snacking in Jerry’s apartment. The cast does such a good job at this. Normally, due to continuity, eating on camera is avoided. That’s one of things I think made Seinfeld so great and believable.</p> <p>There are literally hundreds of funny food related moments throughout the series. Here I will present to you the top 15 full episodes where food played a large role. Next week we will look at:</p> <ul><li>Kramer’s Top 20 Seinfeld Food Related Moments</li><li> Jerry’s Top 20 Seinfeld Food Related Moments</li><li> George’s Top 20 Seinfeld Food Related Moments</li></ul> <p>If you don’t see you favorite yet just wait. I will list the top food related moments that didn’t necessarily have a play in the plot (like Kramer and Newman making sausage, George eating while having sex or Jerry refusing to eat from his girlfriend’s “man hands”).</p> <p>To further stake my claim that it’s all based around food, I submit the initial meeting of Kramer and Jerry. Enjoy!<br /><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D-G19LcyLGk&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D-G19LcyLGk&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span></p> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>15. The Big Salad</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 6</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 2</strong></td> <td><strong>September 29, 1994</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">George and his girlfriend, Julie, ask Jerry and Elaine to go to Monk’s with them. Jerry declines saying he’s already eaten a “big bowl of Kix”. Elaine asks George to bring her back a “big salad”. George goes on a short rant about what exactly a “big salad” is. George buys Elaine the salad but Julie inadvertently gets credit for it when she brings it back to Elaine. George goes berserk over the fact that Elaine thinks Julie paid for the salad and that he doesn’t get credit for it.</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PvoPR6cHQ78&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PvoPR6cHQ78&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPAW3gVkoc4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPAW3gVkoc4</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqkD_cL0MQY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqkD_cL0MQY</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “Big lettuce, big carrots, tomatoes like volleyballs.” – Jerry when George asks what’s in the “big salad”</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>14. The Gum</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 7</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 10</strong></td> <td><strong>December 14, 1995</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">Llyod Braun runs into George, Kramer and Jerry at Monk’s. Llyod has a pack of Chinese chewing gum which Kramer makes everyone have a piece of. George tells him that he doesn’t chew gum. They go to the movies. Elaine doesn’t want to sit next to Llyod so says she must sit next to Jerry because of her (and his) poor eyesight. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>George, in attempting to look inside the register at Monk’s (to determine if he was short-changed), buys a pack of gum. Llyod sees this and is surprised.</p> <p>Lloyd asks Jerry if he would like him to pick up some gum since he knows where to get it. Jerry doesn’t really want it but lets him. Jerry must now wear glasses around Lloyd (because of Elaine’s lie) and he has trouble seeing. Jerry mistakenly gives him $100 bill and in return gets that much worth of gum.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yJZrlefZV-Q&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yJZrlefZV-Q&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbrE4v2f94E">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbrE4v2f94E</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_7TeTL8iEo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_7TeTL8iEo</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “Now see, this is what the holidays are all about. Three buddies sitting around, chewing gum.” – Kramer</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>13. The Cafe</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 3</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 7</strong></td> <td><strong>November 6, 1991</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">A new restaurant, The Dream Cafe, opens across the street from Jerry’s apartment and he becomes interested in it’s success (or lack thereof) and why no one is dining there. He looks down from his apartment window with binoculars at it. He befriends the owner, Babu, and offers his suggestions on how to improve business. He tells him to make his authentic Pakistani dishes as the menu was a hodge podge of items before. This turns out to not work and Babu gets extremely angry with Jerry. The restaurant continues to fail. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Meanwhile George gets Elaine to cheat on his IQ test for him, which she takes over to The Dream Cafe to do. She has a hard time concentrating there and fails the test. George talks her into doing it again, which she does but this time at Jerry’s apartment. She never gets the test back to George though.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WxiJZx4rdKs&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WxiJZx4rdKs&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o41E4MCwLbs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o41E4MCwLbs</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgoix1Rf94I">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgoix1Rf94I</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “Where are people? You see people? Show me people! There are no people!” – Babu yelling at Jerry.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>12. The Butter Shave</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 9</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 1</strong></td> <td><strong>September 25, 1997</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">George, Jerry and Kramer decide to grow mustaches over the summer because they’re bored. Jerry and George decide it was a bad idea and shave them off but don’t tell Kramer. Kramer sees them without their mustaches and gets that they’re no longer growing them. He quickly shaves his as well. Kramer is not getting a good shave with regular shaving cream and tries butter and finds it to be far superior. He notices that the butter makes his skin feel so good that he begins to spread butter over his whole body.<br />While tanning Kramer falls asleep and due to the butter starts to cook. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Newman in the meantime is reading the cannibalism-themed story Alive and smelling Kramer cooking finds it appealing. He envisions Kramer’s head on a roasting turkey. Kramer accidentally get’s oregano and Parmesan cheese dumped on him and it drives Newman berserk. He chases after and bites Kramer.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HORel6NxEl4&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HORel6NxEl4&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK2mBSBb21U">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK2mBSBb21U</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UIvohaMA3Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UIvohaMA3Q</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “I ran out of butter so I had to borrow yours. Anything else, Mr. Nosy?” – Kramer when asked about taking Jerry’s butter.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>11. The Pie</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 5</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 15</strong></td> <td><strong>February 17, 1994</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">Jerry gets upset because his girlfriend Audrey won’t try a bite of his pie. Jerry becomes obsessed with this. They go to eat at Poppie’s, her father’s restaurant. Jerry goes to the bathroom and runs into Poppie there. He notices that he doesn’t watch his hands. Jerry then refuses a slice of Audrey’s pizza because he saw her dad not wash after using the restroom. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Jerry meets Audrey at Poppie’s later to talk. While there, the health inspector comes and arrests Poppie for unsanitary conditions.</p> <p>Also George gets taken to dinner my a prospective employer. George will not eat his dessert because he fears the chef (whom George “stole” a suit from) is going to taint it. George acts like Audrey did refusing Jerry’s pie. George does not get the job because of this but does not become ill as the other diners did.</p> <p>Jerry never found out why Audrey refused the pie in the first place.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pkNUL1GM0io&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pkNUL1GM0io&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV3cqCggbK4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV3cqCggbK4</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-erm-67pRFI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-erm-67pRFI</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “Poppie’s a little sloppy.” – Jerry</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>10. The Chicken Roaster</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 8</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 8</strong></td> <td><strong>November 14, 1996</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">A Kenny Rogers Roasters chicken restaurant opens across the street from Jerry and Kramer’s apartment. They have a large red neon sign to advertise and it keeps Kramer up at night. Kramer gets upset and boycotts the restaurant. Kramer can’t take it any more and gets Jerry to switch apartments with him. Newman comes over to Kramer’s (Jerry’s) with chicken from Kenny Rogers. Kramer tries it and soon becomes addicted to it but he tries to hide the fact from Jerry. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Jerry runs into Newman at Kenny Roasters and notices that he bought broccoli as well. He deduces that the food cannot be solely for him as he would never eat broccoli. Jerry finds out that Kramer is addicted to Kenny Rogers.</p> <p>Earlier Jerry had asked an old buddy to have lunch with him, which he skipped a business meeting for, and got fired. He then got a job as the assistant manager at Kenny Rogers. Jerry effectively gets the restaurant closed down when he shakes George’s wet hat and get all the food covered in rat fur.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tuwNK6KNMXI&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tuwNK6KNMXI&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acKM4jsUXwk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acKM4jsUXwk</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qMpJa4FaW0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qMpJa4FaW0</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “Hold it, Newman, you wouldn’t eat broccoli if it was deep fried in chocolate sauce.” – Jerry</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>9. The Muffin Tops</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 8</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 21</strong></td> <td><strong>May 8, 1997</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">Elaine while at a party eats only the top of a muffin. Her former boss Mr. Lippman, sees this and decides to open a business selling only the tops, Top Of The Muffin To You! When business isn’t going as planned he asks Elaine for help and advice. She tells him that he’s doing it wrong by just baking the tops. She informs him that he must bake the entire muffin and “pop the top” from the stump. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Elaine and Mr. Lippman try to discard the stumps by giving them to the homeless but even they don’t want them. Nobody will take the stumps and they are left with piles and bags full of them. Elaine tries to get Kramer to take her stumps to the dump but even the dumps won’t take them. Elaine ends up getting Newman as a “cleaner” to get rid of the muffin stumps by eating them all. It ends with Newman bringing in a cooler with 4 bottles of milk and saying that he’s got a lot of work to do.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZwL44y1Yju4&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZwL44y1Yju4&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXypua_KEA0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXypua_KEA0</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOwAJNL7hws">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOwAJNL7hws</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “I know what you thought. They don’t have homes, they don’t have jobs, what do they need the top of a muffin for? They’re lucky to get the stumps.” – Homeless Shelter Employee</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>8. The Calzone</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 7</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 20</strong></td> <td><strong>April 25, 1996</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">While in a meeting George is eating an eggplant calzone. Mr. Steinbrenner asks him what is is and asks for a bit, which he turns out to love the taste of. He orders George to go get him one. Soon they are eating calzones every day for lunch together. George leaves a tip for the guy at the calzone shop but he does not see George put the money in the jar so George goes to fish out the money in order to re-tip him (and get recognition for his tip) but the guy catches George and thinks he’s stealing from the jar. He bans George from the restaurant. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Mr. Steinbrenner continues to want calzones but George can no longer get them. He has to recruit Newman to order them for him and bring them to him during his mail route. Newman decides not to go to work because it is raining and George has to get Kramer to pick up the calzones. While there Kramer has them heat his shirt in the oven because he has become accustomed to warm clothing from the dryer. Kramer tries to pay for the calzones with pennies and the owner kicks him out.</p> <p>Kramer goes to George’s office and places his shirt by a vent. The smell from it wafts into Mr. Steinbrenner’s office and runs into George’s office thinking that he has calzones. George tries to pass off another restuarant’s calzone as the original but Mr. Steinbrenner doesn’t fall for it. George then gets the idea to put the Yankee’s player clothes in a pizza oven after Mr. Steinbrenner was found rummaging through his office and realized the smell was from the clothes.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jxwgtRg85e8&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jxwgtRg85e8&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOpixo1HoOk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOpixo1HoOk</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cLg9aVl_cE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cLg9aVl_cE</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “From 1973 to 1982 I ate the exact same lunch everyday . Turkey chili in a bowl made out of bread . Bread bowl George. First you eat the chili then you eat the bowl . There’s nothing more satisfying than looking down after lunch and seeing nothing but a table.” – George Steinbrenner</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>7. The Strike</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 9</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 10</strong></td> <td><strong>December 18, 1997</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">George, Elaine and Jerry go to a Hanukkah party at Tim Whatley’s where Elaine meets a man and gives him a fake phone number. Elaine realizes that she wrote the number down on the back of her “Submarine Captain” card that she was using to get a free sub sandwich and captain’s hat at a local sandwich shop. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Kramer hears that the 12-year strike at H&amp;H Bagels is over (where he used to work) because minimum wage is now higher than what they were demanding. Kramer returns to work at the bagel shop.</p> <p>Elaine wants to get the sandwich card back and goes to where the fake phone number calls, a betting parlor. She gives them the number of H&amp;H if the man calls for her. She waits at the bagel shop for him to call but because of the steam inside she starts to get ugly.</p> <p>Meanwhile Jerry’s notices that his girlfriend’s appearance changes drastically day to day and in different locales. He wants to only sit in the back booth at Monk’s because she looks good in that setting. Kramer thinks that Jerry is cheating on her because of the variances in appearance.</p> <p>In the end they all gather for a Festivus Dinner at the Costanza’s (Frank’s made-up Holiday) in order for George to prove that he didn’t get to have Christmas.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kT3bCZ3tx9Q&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kT3bCZ3tx9Q&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdOxBcxg1tM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdOxBcxg1tM</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xqq2frt7zI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xqq2frt7zI</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “H&amp;H wouldn’t let us use their bathroom while we were picketing. It put a cramp in our solidarity.” – Kramer</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>6. The Chinese Restaurant</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 2</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 11</strong></td> <td><strong>May 23, 1991</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">Jerry, Elaine and George decide to stop in for a meal at a Chinese restaurant before going to see a showing of Plan 9 From Outer Space. Jerry had previously lied to his uncle about not being able to go to dinner with him in order to see the movie. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>The maître d’ continuously tells them that their table will be “5, 10 minutes”. While waiting for their table Jerry dares Elaine to eat an eggroll from a random diner’s plate offering her $50 to do so. Elaine tries to conspicuously offer them $25 if they let her do it but they don’t understand what she’s getting at.</p> <p>A woman runs into Jerry in the lobby who turns out is his uncle’s receptionist. Jerry ends up going to dinner with his uncle because he realizes he’ll get caught. George and Elaine decide to leave too. The maître d’ calls their party for their table as they walk out the door.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/On-6CnwpQLc&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/On-6CnwpQLc&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9MD6EASTsI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9MD6EASTsI</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6pj2LBYGKk">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6pj2LBYGKk</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “For 50 bucks? I’d put my face in the soup and blow.” – George</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>5. The Soup</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 6</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 7</strong></td> <td><strong>November 10, 1994</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">Bania, having bulked up, no longer fits into his Armani suit and offers it to Jerry. It fits Jerry and he somewhat reluctantly takes it. Bania says he can just take him out for dinner as payment for the suit. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Kramer, after having kidney stones, decides to get rid of his refrigerator and only eat fresh foods. Kramer takes food from Jerry’s for his girlfriend Hildy who is a waitress at Reggie’s.</p> <p>Bania and Jerry go out to dinner at Mendy’s but Bania only orders a soup because he had already eaten earlier. Bania says it doesn’t count as a meal because it’s only soup and insists that Jerry take him out again. Jerry gets extremely frustrated with him. Jerry and Bania go out again and he gets a soup and a sandwich but because it’s not “a fancy restaurant” he claims it’s still not a meal. Jerry ends up giving the suit to Elaine’s boyfriend.</p> <p>George doesn’t want to eat at Monk’s (he doesn’t want to see one of the waitresses) so they go to Reggie’s but they don’t have an omelet or big salad that Jerry and Elaine want.</p> <p>Jerry runs out of food because Kramer keeps taking it for Hildy (who is upset because Kramer got her fired for calling at work too much).</p> <p>After Jerry and Bania continue to argue about the suit and the meal, Bania demands the suit back but Jerry tells him that he gave it away. Bania runs after Elaine’s boyfriend to get the suit. Jerry and Elaine celebrate at Monk’s with an omelet and a big salad while George eats alone at Reggie’s.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pHwW3wILERg&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pHwW3wILERg&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPHUC5epw1Q">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPHUC5epw1Q</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwtb3tm9qLY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwtb3tm9qLY</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “No, I’m sorry Bania … I’m not going over this again. Well who told you to order soup? … No! There’s no dinner. There’s not going to be any dinner. You’ve had a sandwich and 2 bowls of soup and that’s it. Good-bye.” – Jerry on the phone with Bania.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>4. The Mango</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 5</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 1</strong></td> <td><strong>September 16, 1993</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">Kramer gets a bad peach from Joe’s Fruit Shop and attempts to return it. Joe bans Kramer from the shop and Kramer freaks out about not being able to get fruit. He talks Jerry into doing his shopping for him and requests specifics like plantains, mangoes and plums that are “red inside”. Joe notices that Jerry’s selection is unusual and realizes that it’s actually for Kramer. He then bans Jerry from the shop as well. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Kramer then gets George to do the fruit shopping (which Jerry pays for because Kramer only had “hundreds”) and he is able to procure it. George, who had been having sexual performance issues, eats one of the mangoes and notices some “vibrant” effect from it.</p> <p>In the midst of all of this Jerry is attempting to get Elaine to sleep with him once more because he found out she had been faking orgasms when they were dating (and to “save the friendship”). Eventually she breaks down and allows it but she is still unable to orgasm. Elaine is hungry and asks Jerry if he still has any mangoes. Jerry realizes the potential power of the fruit but the episode ends there.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wq6y21uBvxg&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wq6y21uBvxg&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkerZHeiQf4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkerZHeiQf4</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSzFfrEsv-s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSzFfrEsv-s</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “They don’t have a decent piece of fruit at the supermarket. The apples are mealy, the oranges are dry… I don’t know what’s going on with the papayas!” – Kramer</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>3. The Non-Fat Yogurt</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 5</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 7</strong></td> <td><strong>November 4, 1993</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">Kramer invests in a non-fat frozen yogurt shop that is becoming increasingly popular. It is frequented by Jerry, Elaine, George and Newman, amongst others. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>Kramer comments that Jerry and Elaine have gained weight and they become suspicious that its due to all the frozen yogurt they’ve been eating and believe the non-fat moniker to be a lie. They pay to have it tested in a lab to find out the truth.</p> <p>Kramer seduces one of the lab techs and tries to get her to falsify the results and in the process contaminates, soon to be mayor, Giuliani’s blood sample causing it to be misdiagnosed with high cholesterol. The lab results turn out to reveal that the yogurt does in fact have fat in it. Giuliani vows to eliminate false advertising because he believes his high cholesterol is due to the yogurt. Business plummets and it soon closes. Newman gets extremely mad at this.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lj0jfZ7HdCA&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lj0jfZ7HdCA&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okZTxEDCiqI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okZTxEDCiqI</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hL8JYwTL7g">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hL8JYwTL7g</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “You don’t eat Oreos? The way you break ‘em open and…. It’s like you’re having sex with ‘em.” – Kramer to Elaine</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>2. The Rye</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 7</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 11</strong></td> <td><strong>January, 1996</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">George takes his parents to have dinner at Susan’s parent’s house. On the way Frank Costanza insists that they stop and get a Marble Rye from Schnitzer’s Bakery to bring to dinner. After dinner Frank realizes that Susan’s parents never brought the rye to the table and steals it back. Susan’s parents notice that the rye is missing. Frank is also upset that they did not serve dessert. <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>George then puts together a scheme to have Kramer distract Susan’s parents with a ride around central park in a horse-drawn carriage for their anniversary and in the meantime he’ll sneak another rye back into their home. George recruits Jerry to purchase another rye from the bakery but they sell the last one to an old lady. Jerry offers her $50 which she refuses. Jerry continues to follow her and eventually steals the rye from her and runs.</p> <p>Kramer had been feeding the horse cans of Beef-A-Reeno because he had large quantities of it after shopping at a wholesale food store. This caused the horse to release horrible gas and Susan’s parents demand Kramer take them back immediately. This foils Georges plan and he resorts to another plan of fishing it from Jerry from the third story window, which he is caught in the midst of by Susan and her parents.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dMOJ3SmjM-w&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dMOJ3SmjM-w&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br />Part 2 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yif4VKgBQkw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yif4VKgBQkw</a><br />Part 3 – <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVjdHcGBnFw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVjdHcGBnFw</a></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"> <p style="padding-left: 30px;"> </p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Memorable quote:</strong> “Your father’s absolutely right. We’re sitting there like idiots drinking coffee without a piece of cake!” – Estelle Costanza</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table><tbody><tr> <td colspan="3"> <h2>1. The Soup Nazi</h2> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><strong>Season 7</strong></td> <td><strong>Episode 6</strong></td> <td><strong>November 2, 1995</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3">Probably one of the most popular episodes of Seinfeld in general. Kramer tells Jerry, George and Elaine about a restaurant with the most incredible soup that is run by the “Soup Nazi”. So called because of his stringent ordering polices and his intolerance of fumbling customers. Part of what makes this so great is that it’s based on an actual person (as Larry David often does). <div style="height: 1.4em; visibility: hidden;">BLANK SPACE</div> <p>During the episode George gets denied soup because he wanted bread as the customers in front of him received some, Elaine gets banned for a year because she says the Soup Nazi looks like Al Pacino from Scent of a Woman, Jerry tells Bania to go back to his spot in line because he doesn’t want to anger the Soup Nazi and Jerry picks soup over his girlfriend because she kissed him in line.</p> <p>The Soup Nazi offers Kramer an old armoire that he has (to replace the one he had stolen from him while watching it for Elaine) which Kramer then gives to Elaine. Finding this out the Soup Nazi declares that he never would have given it to him if he knew it was for her. Later Elaine discovers the Soup Nazi’s recipes in the armoire and threatens to release them and ruin his business. Because of this the Soup Nazi has no choice and decides to close up shop and move to Argentina.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="3"><span style="text-align: center; display: block;"><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dMOJ3SmjM-w&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dMOJ3SmjM-w&amp;rel=1&amp;fs=1&amp;showsearch=0&amp;hd=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed> </object></span><br /><a href="http://eatingtheroad.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/top-15-seinfeld-food-related-episodes/">Original here</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-873860684679841902009-12-20T03:33:00.000-08:002009-12-20T03:34:25.410-08:00No decrease in illegal downloading, says BPI<div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46950000/jpg/_46950852_006338512-1.jpg" alt="MP3 player" border="0" height="170" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="226" /> <div class="cap">A third of respondents who obtain music illegally do so on a daily basis</div> </div> <!-- E IIMA --> <!-- S SF --><p class="first"><b>The number of people downloading music illegally is not decreasing, despite the availability of new legal services, according to a music industry research.</b></p><p>A survey for The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) revealed one in three consumers are using illegal sites. </p><p>BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor said the findings were "disappointing" and expressed concern at a rise in illegal downloads from blogs and newsgroups. </p><p>More than 3,000 people aged between 16 and 54 took part in the online poll. </p><!-- E SF --><p>When questioned about their future plans, current users of unauthorised services reported that they actually intended to increase their illegal activities in the coming six months. </p><p><b>'Great choice'</b></p><p>The survey showed an increase in the use of web-based, or non-peer-to-peer methods, during the last six months. Filesharing through methods like BitTorrent remained level. </p><p>Mr Taylor said: "There are now more than 35 legal digital music services in the UK, offering music fans a great choice of ways to get music legally. </p><p>"It's disappointing that levels of illegal peer-to-peer use remain high despite this and the publicity surrounding imminent measures to address the problem. It's vital that those measures come into force as quickly as possible. </p><p>"The growth in other, non-peer-to-peer methods of downloading music illegally is a concern, and highlights the importance of including a mechanism in the Digital Economy Bill to deal with threats other than peer-to-peer." </p><p>Despite the levels of piracy, the BPI was able to announce in October that we are living in "the era of the digital single", after figures revealed 2009 was biggest ever year for UK singles, with more than 117m sold. </p><p>Of those, 98.6% were purchased in digital formats. However, the BPI estimate there are still more than a billion illegal downloads every year in the UK. </p><p>Mr Taylor said that figure demonstrated how the market could "explode" if the government tackled illegal filesharing.<br /></p><p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8420484.stm">Original here</a><br /></p>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-21033425457838014172009-12-20T03:30:00.000-08:002009-12-20T03:33:13.917-08:00Inmates to sue over Christmas songs piped into prisonBy <a href="http://www.asylum.co.uk/bloggers/simon-crisp/">Simon Crisp</a><br /><br /><!-- xxx --><div class="articleBody"><div><img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.asylum.co.uk/media/2009/12/prisoner-getty.jpg" align="left" border="1" hspace="4" vspace="4" />Christmas songs, they either make you want to sing along - or pull your own ears off and baste the turkey with them.</div> <div><br /></div> <div>That's why we find ourselves in the strange position of (almost) feeling sorry for US prisoners who are being <a href="http://www.clickondetroit.com/irresistible/21982847/detail.html">subjected to a non-stop Christmas playlist</a>.</div> <div><br /></div> <div>Jail bosses in Maricopa County, Arizona, have started playing a selection of Christmas music and hymns into the prisons, and will continue to do so for the rest of the holiday period.</div> <div><br /></div> <div>While they say the annual tradition is intended to give "a little Christmas cheer" to the incarcerated crooks, many of the prisoners claim it is an added punishment.</div> <div><br /></div> <div>Some have even filed lawsuits claiming cruel and unusual punishment and forced participation in religious celebrations - we guess it all depends on how often they play Cliff. </div> <div><br /></div> <div>The sheriff's office has said it expects courts to dismiss the lawsuits.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.asylum.co.uk/2009/12/18/inmates-sue-for-being-subjected-to-christmas-songs/">Original here</a><br /></div></div>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-3358516962569066482009-12-20T03:26:00.000-08:002009-12-20T03:30:10.056-08:00'Avatar' raises the bar in so many waysBy Elizabeth Guider<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/Sy4KedO44KI/AAAAAAAAB04/yPjnl7sYQe0/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 341px; height: 182px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/Sy4KedO44KI/AAAAAAAAB04/yPjnl7sYQe0/s400/2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417278920132714658" border="0" /></a>The word is enveloped. That's what the movie did to me, however long it was into it, when those little jellyfish-like creatures came floating down. I was in the seventh row at Grauman's and automatically turned my head to brush one of them off my shoulder. I'm sure <a class="meebo-_sharableItem" href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/avatar-film-review-1004052868.story"> "Avatar"</a> will do similarly for millions and millions of others -- this is, if it need be said at all, the weekend of its opening -- and not just for 14-year-old males.<br /><br />Fox can almost certainly breathe an initial sigh of relief as Jim Cameron's movie essentially recalibrates filmmaking, without, I'm going to hazard, breaking the bank. So obviously has the creative bar been raised that I heard one young writer-director at the premiere say to his friends, "What do we do now?"<br /><br />The 3D thing has been taken to a new level and will surely quicken the embrace of the technology. But more important, Cameron's mastery of it was almost completely at the service of the storytelling -- call it emotion-capture: I was taken out of myself (which I suspect is the whole point of having an avatar) and entered that collective experience of seeing a movie in a darkened room and of reconnecting to that collective unconscious we all share. Think Wordsworth or Rousseau, but without any overt reference or any pretentiousness, the pic taps into the longing for innocence in all of us and riffs on that enduring noble savage ideal.<br /><br />Although ignored or relegated to the sidelines in so many contemporary movies, women are front and center in this saga, from the cigarette-smoking scientist Sigourney Weaver, to the fierce but fragile Neferti, to the plucky pilot played by Michelle Rodriguez.<br /><br />And yes, there is a love story: To my mind, just a twitch of a Na'vi ear was as evocative as a sex act in countless other pics.<br /><br />Downsides? A tad too long? Perhaps. Its political messages too simplistic? In some quarters (like say News Corp.'s own Fox News?)they could be interpreted as anti-American, certainly anti-corporate establishment. On the other hand, foreign viewers will likely relish seeing the manaical colonel get his come-uppance from a bow and arrow. Objections enough to shun the movie? Please.<br /><br />As is obvious, I'm no film reviewer, but what else I took away from the evening was just how beautifully timed this movie is. To embellish on another metaphor from the film, it's been, like the hero in the movie, a crippled, stymied year in so many ways -- the sluggish economy, the layoffs, the stridency of our politics and, more pertinently to us here in Hollywood, presumably broken business models.<br /><br />Somehow through it all, though, brashly commercial and bravely artistic movies have come out of the gate, with "Avatar" capping one of the best and most varied of recent film cycles -- from "Precious" and "Up in the Air" to "The Hurt Locker" and "Sherlock Holmes." Our own boxoffice specialist here at the paper tells me 2009 will close out at a record tally, nudging the $10 billion mark for the first time. Internationally, too, American movies are doing gangbusters, from the "Ice Age" sequel and "Up" to "2012" and the latest "Transformers" flick.<br /><br />The day-and-date openings around the globe for "Avatar" will seal the deal. And no doubt the second weekend will be the telling one for "Avatar" as the percentage drop-off will be dissected to the nth degree by News Corp. bean counters and financial analysts to project the long-term value of the movie. DVD sales and their impact on the studio's bottom line are the tricky part.<br /><br />Already one hard-nosed Wall Streeter has had a change of heart: Pali Research analyst Richard Greenfield shifted his rating on News Corp. from sell to neutral based primarily on his own enjoyment and assessment of the movie. I can't remember the last time a single movie moved the needle at one of the Hollywood heavyweights in any way.<br /><br />In an analyst's note Thursday, he said: "We can gripe about the unnecessary length of the film and a typical Hollywood ending, but the honest truth is that nobody in the world has ever seen a movie like 'Avatar.' Fox's potential to generate a profit on 'Avatar' remains unclear given its cost and whether a film so closely associated with 3D filmmaking will translate into (2D-only) DVD/Blu-ray sales during 2010. That being said, we do not walk away believing Fox is in danger of losing a massive amount of money on the film."<br /><br />In short, Greenfield concludes, "the movie will not be a disaster profit-wise, with the Fox film slate set to notably outperform expectations this year."<br /><br />Driving in to work Thursday, I heard the results on the radio of some poll suggesting that more than 50% of Americans believe that China will soon surpass the U.S. as the most powerful country in the world and the biggest exporter of goods. OK. I know they're fixing their roads and bridges much more quickly than we are, and they don't seem to have a national obesity problem like we do, so in certain respects their strides are notable and impressive. But creatively?<br /><br />Aside from the handful of art films that trickle out and make it to international film festivals, and Zhang Yimou's admittedly spectacular choreography for the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony, practically nothing from China (or anywhere else?) movie-wise resonates beyond borders the way Hollywood fare does. I'm betting "Avatar" will widen that gap in the short term and then hopefully inspire others, from wherever, to build on the achievement.<br /><br />The film's producer Jon Landau talked a little Thursday about what he thinks a key effect of the movie will be, pointing to something that surprised me. So much has been written about how expensive the movie is, but he put the accent on how much cost-savings in technology were attained even in just the four-year span in which the picture was shot. If $1 million was spent per terabyte when "Titanic" was made, that price has been now brought down enormously, he explained.<br /><br />His point? This should, he told me, crack open the door for filmmakers to be able to apply amazing technology to unlock stories in their heads that otherwise couldn't be realized.<br /><br />Like Cameron, they'll also have to imbibe some of that thing called Eywa.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i35216ec6c243332193ccfeba882ee9b6">Original here</a>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-26960025536395880322009-12-20T03:19:00.000-08:002009-12-20T03:26:50.806-08:00'Harry Potter' star is decade's most profitable actressBy <b>Phil Han</b>, CNN<br /><br /><!--endclickprintinclude--><!-- google_ad_section_end --><!--startclickprintexclude--> <!--endclickprintexclude--><!-- google_ad_section_start --><!-- CONTENT --><!-- REAP --><!-- KEEP --><!--startclickprintinclude--> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript">var clickExpire = "-1";</script> <!-- REAP --><!--startclickprintexclude--> <div style="text-align: center;" class="cnn_stryimg640captioned"><!--===========IMAGE============--><img style="width: 399px; height: 224px;" src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/17/emma.watson.profit.film/t1larg.jpg" alt="Emma Watson has been crowned the most profitable actress of the decade, earning $5.4 billion for her films." border="0" /><!--===========/IMAGE===========--></div><!--===========CAPTION==========--><br /><div class="cnn_stryimg640caption"><div class="cnn_strycaptiontxt">Emma Watson has been crowned the most profitable actress of the decade, earning $5.4 billion for her films.<br /><br /><p><b>London, England (CNN)</b> -- It wasn't Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie or even Meryl Streep that was named the most profitable actress of the decade -- instead, 19-year-old British actress Emma Watson took the title.</p> <p>Films that the young actress has appeared in have made more money than those of any other Hollywood starlet, despite her being in only the "Harry Potter" series and voicing a character in an animated film.</p> <p>Over the course of the decade, films that Watson was involved in made $5.4 billion worldwide and these boasted the highest average box office earnings, making roughly $900 million per film.</p> <p>More notable actresses like Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet were beaten in the list conducted by the Guinness Book of World Records.</p> <p>Watson got her start at the age of ten, playing a young wizard in the first "Harry Potter" film back in 2001.</p> <p>Since then, she has starred in five subsequent Potter movies and voiced the character of a young princess in the animated film, "The Tale of Despereaux."</p> <p>Ali Jaafar, International Editor at Variety Magazine said it was notable that Watson was a big grosser, but it would be interesting to see how her career progressed. </p> <p>"She's untested apart from the Harry Potter franchise, but these are young actors and it'll be interesting to see how they develop their careers," Jaafar told CNN.</p> <p>"It's always hard for child actors to develop."</p> <p class="cnnInline">Orlando Bloom was named the highest grossing actor of the decade, taking in more than $7 billion for his role in movies like "Lord of the Rings" and "Pirates of the Caribbean."</p><p class="cnnInline"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/17/emma.watson.profit.film/index.html">Original here</a><br /></p><br /></div></div>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-7794505444987783802009-12-20T03:15:00.000-08:002009-12-20T03:19:04.301-08:00Rock anthem outselling X Factor winner Joe McElderry<div> <img src="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/46922000/jpg/_46922780_zack226_bbc.jpg" alt="Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha" border="0" height="170" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="226" /> <div class="cap">The band headlined last year's Reading and Leeds festivals</div> </div> <!-- E IIMA --> <!-- S SF --><p class="first"><b>Rock band Rage Against The Machine is ahead of X Factor winner Joe McElderry in the race for the Christmas number one, early sales figures suggest.</b></p><p>A Facebook group aiming to get the band's 1992 hit Killing In The Name to the top of the festive chart has attracted more than 750,000 members. </p><p>But McElderry's debut The Climb, out on CD on Wednesday, is expected to catch up by the weekend. </p><p>The Official Charts Company (OCC) said it is "a very exciting battle". </p><!-- E SF --><p><b>Campaign criticism</b></p><p>It is understood that there is a 10% margin in sales between the two singles after Sunday and Monday. </p><p>McElderry's song was only released digitally after his victory in the X Factor final at midnight on Sunday, giving it less time to rack up sales for this week's chart than Rage Against The Machine. </p><p>X Factor judge Simon Cowell has criticised the internet campaign, calling it "stupid". </p><p>Prior to the final of the ITV talent show, he said: "I think the campaign's aimed directly at me." </p><p>The Facebook page includes a link to homeless charity site Shelter, which has raised nearly £30,000 in donations. </p><p>Rage Against The Machine, meanwhile, are signed to Epic Records, which is part of Sony BMG, the same label as McElderry. </p><p>Ladbrokes has re-opened its betting for the number one Christmas single just 24 hours after closing it. </p><p>Ladbrokes spokesman, Nick Weinberg, said: "Earlier this week it looked a done deal. Now Joe appears to be facing an almighty battle for top spot. </p><p>"This Christmas could be the first time in a long while that we see a genuine competition." </p><p>McElderry is at 1/3 with Rage Against the Machine at 2/1. </p><p>The OCC's Martin Talbot said "two different records have captured the nation's imagination". </p><p>"According to our initial sales estimates, there is no doubt that this tussle is far from over," he added.<br /></p><p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8413557.stm">Original here</a><br /></p>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-71627956908038285352009-10-04T10:24:00.000-07:002009-10-04T10:26:13.948-07:00Millionaire Filmmaker Michael Moore: ‘Capitalism Did Nothing For Me’By <span id="ctl00_ContentArea_rptAuthors_ctl01_lblAuthorName">Nicholas Ballasy, Video Reporter</span> <br /> <b>(CNSNews.com)</b> -- Documentary film director Michael Moore, who has become a millionaire thanks to the profits from his movies, told CNSNews.com that “capitalism did nothing” for him. <br /><br />CNSNews.com spoke with Moore on the red carpet at the Uptown Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night before the premiere of his upcoming documentary, “Capitalism: A Love Story."<br /><br />CNSNews.com asked: “Critics may say, when they see this movie, Michael Moore has amassed a fortune of over $50 million, some have said and –”<br /><br />Moore said: “Really? Are you kidding me? Seriously? Wow. Where did it go?”<br /><br />CNSNews.com then asked Moore: “Critics would say he’s [Moore] been very successful under a capitalist system. How would you justify making a movie where you paint capitalism as evil?”<br /><br />Moore said: “Well, capitalism did nothing for me, starting with my first film.”<br /><br /><object height="364" width="450"><embed src="http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/eyeblast.swf?v=GdkUqG6UVr&amp;c1=0xACACAC&amp;c2=0x373737&amp;a=0&amp;sm=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="364" width="450"></embed></object><br /><br />“You know, I had to pretty much beg, borrow and steal,” he said. “The system is not set up to help somebody from the working class make a movie like this and get the truth out there.”<br /><br />“In fact, in <i>Fahrenheit 9/11</i> if you remember, capitalism, the Disney Corporation, tried to kill that film--tried to make it so that people couldn’t see it,” said Moore. “My book <i>Stupid White Men--</i>Harper Collins tried to kill that book so that people couldn’t see it. It's only because I put the light of day on it and told people what was going on did people get the chance to see these things.”<br /><br />According to <i><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/04/magazines/fortune/michael_moore_capitalism_review.fortune/">Fortune Magazine</a></i>, Moore’s films have grossed over $300 million worldwide. His highest grossing film was “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which critiques the Bush administration’s handling of the war in Iraq and earned over $200 million worldwide.<br /><br />Moore <a href="http://slate.msn.com/id/2117923/">reportedly was paid $21 million</a> by Disney for producing, directing and creating the film.<br /><br />Moore also earned 50 percent of the profits of his 2007 film “Sicko,” totaling $25 million plus DVD sales, <a href="http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-130060728/moore-war-after-skewering.html">according to </a><i><a href="http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-130060728/moore-war-after-skewering.html">Vanity Fair</a>.</i><br /><i><br /><a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/29/entertainment/et-moore29">The Los Angeles Times</a></i> reported that Moore would receive all of the profits made from DVD sales of “Sicko,” sales of which have been estimated at <a href="http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2007/SICKO.php">over $17 million</a>.<br /><br />“Look, you know, I mean, I make documentary films,” said Moore. “So, clearly, I’m not loaded in the way you described. But I do well, obviously because my films do well.”<br /><br />“So, that means I have an extra responsibility to make sure I spend my time trying to make things better for the people that don’t have what I have, right? I mean, everybody should do that,” he said.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/54833">Original here</a>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-47144643017623080722009-09-16T23:30:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:33:25.275-07:00The 17 Coolest G.I. Joe and Cobra Animal Sidekicks<h2 id="byline"><br /></h2> <span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><table class="image right" border="0" width="270"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/736px-Croc_Master.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/736px-Croc_Master.jpg','popup','width=736,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="736px-Croc_Master.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/736px-Croc_Master-thumb-270x220.jpg" height="220" width="270" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table>​</span><i>By Kevin J. Guhl</i><br /><br />Both G.I. Joe and Cobra are very diverse organizations, allowing in pretty much any species that wants to join their ranks. Sure, it makes sense that the occasional Cobra or Joe would learn to work with a dog or a falcon, but once they started adding various aquatic life and other random animals, things got pretty god-ri-damned-diculous. Each team's headquarters must have started to look like Noah's Ark! Still, the inclusion of an animal sidekick with a G.I. Joe figure automatically made that toy 250% more desirable, even if the actual human figure was a waste of plastic. Here are the 17 coolest animal sidekicks in the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline.<br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 17 &amp; 16) Falcon and Condor (tie) </b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/voltar.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/voltar.jpg','popup','width=431,height=694,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="voltar.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/voltar-thumb-250x402.jpg" height="402" width="250" /></a>​</span> <span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/raptor%20with%20bird.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/raptor%20with%20bird.jpg','popup','width=772,height=625,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="raptor with bird.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/raptor%20with%20bird-thumb-300x242.jpg" height="242" width="300" /></a>​</span><br />Two Cobra guys in really dumb costumes equals two very embarrassed avian sidekicks. Voltar was a plain old nut who happened to be a good military commander and for some reason liked dressing up in hilarious armor straight out of <i>Buck Rogers</i> and carrying around a condor. Raptor was insane, too, and didn't even have successes that made up for it. He not only attempted to train an army of falcons to attack G.I. Joe; he loved dressing in the falcons' image and hanging around in a birdcage. He probably loved pooping on car windshields, too. Oh, and he's an accountant. These are two clear cases of bird abuse, and that's just for being forced to be in the presence of these psychos.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 15) Barracuda</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/undertow.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/undertow.jpg','popup','width=579,height=908,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="undertow.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/undertow-thumb-350x548.jpg" height="548" width="350" /></a>​</span><br />Okay, it's a nifty accessory. But exactly what function does a barracuda serve in combat? Can you train it to munch on command? Undertow, one of Destro's frogmen, was probably just a big fan of Heart.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 14) Scorpion</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="desertscorpion.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/desertscorpion.jpg" height="498" width="331" />​</span><br />According to G.I. Joe lore, dropouts from the Cobra Viper program had to go sharpen their skills in hot, sandy environments as Desert Scorpions, where the troopers spent a lot of time with their namesakes. But where the hell is the desert these guys were training in? The Mesozoic Era? Those scorpions are HUGE!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 13) Boar</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="3755270789_e0e4fe92cd.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/3755270789_e0e4fe92cd.jpg" height="488" width="500" />​</span><br />According to the filecard of Gnawgahyde, this Dreadnok poacher likes to grease himself up with rancid hog-fat before going on a hunt, as the horrible scent will mask the chemical additives from processed foods that are in his body and could scare off animals. Translation: The poor boar packaged with Gnawgahyde isn't long for this Earth, his destiny to become Dreadnok cologne!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 12) Manta Ray </b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/hydroviper1.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/hydroviper1.jpg','popup','width=599,height=732,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="hydroviper1.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/hydroviper1-thumb-400x488.jpg" height="488" width="400" /></a>​</span><br />Cobra Hydro-Vipers are apparently all like Aquaman, summoning the beasts of the sea to do their bidding. It's not clear what exactly these genetically-engineered Cobra troopers use the black mantas for, aside from having them swim curiously around members of the Joe underwater team.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 11) Sandstorm</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/dusty3.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/dusty3.jpg','popup','width=432,height=665,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="dusty3.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/dusty3-thumb-332x511.jpg" height="511" width="332" /></a>​</span><br />Late in the G.I. Joe toyline, Hasbro decided that established G.I. Joe desert trooper Dusty would get a pet coyote named Sandstorm that shared his proclivity for being a desert survivalist. That's all well and good, but it's hard not to picture Sandstorm running off to try and drop an anvil on the Roadrunner.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 10) Max</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="spearhead2.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/spearhead2.jpg" height="268" width="311" />​</span><br />Okay, who here really believes a bobcat can be adequately trained to be of any use whatsoever in G.I. Joe desert operations? Even the filecard pretty much implies that insurance salesman-turned-point man Spearhead brings along his bobcat Max as a mascot. Thankfully, Max was so cute that we were willing to overlook any lack of practicality on his part.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 9) Robot Shark</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/eel2.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/eel2.jpg','popup','width=852,height=1350,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="eel2.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/eel2-thumb-352x557.jpg" height="557" width="352" /></a>​</span><br />While not a living animal, the Cobra Eel's mechanical shark pal bested any other fish companion, mainly due to its ability to fire a spring-loaded torpedo from its mouth.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b>8) Order</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/law1.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/law1.jpg','popup','width=505,height=794,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="law1.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/law1-thumb-350x550.jpg" height="550" width="350" /></a>​</span><br />If you were a drunken Joe sneaking back into the PITT after lights out, the attuned senses and loud bark of Order (the German Shepherd belonging to M.P. Law) were sure to alert his master and get your Real American ass thrown in the brig.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 7) Kangaroo</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/br-kangor1.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/br-kangor1.jpg','popup','width=451,height=710,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="br-kangor1.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/br-kangor1-thumb-351x552.jpg" height="552" width="351" /></a>​</span><br />Brazil took the animal sidekick idea even further and introduced a line of exclusive figures called Force Fera. The animals looked suspiciously like the cheap plastic beasts you would get a in a bag of zoo critters at the grocery store, as evidenced by the tiny lion, tiger and bear that the Joes and Cobras were paired with. The most inspired combination, though, was of Cobra boxing instructor Big Boa (called Kangor in this set) with a kangaroo. Even better, the kangaroo was given Big Boa's boxing gloves! How fantastic is that?! Imagine yourself as a Joe running across the battlefield on Cobra Island and suddenly being confronted with a boxing kangaroo hopping your way. You'd be KO'ed before you could figure out where and when you popped the LSD.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 6) Gold Cobra</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/Serpentor.JPG" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/Serpentor.JPG','popup','width=482,height=640,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="Serpentor.JPG" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/Serpentor-thumb-382x507.jpg" height="507" width="382" /></a>​</span><br />The gold cobra that came with Serpentor was perfect not just as the terrorist organization's mascot, but as a toy that allowed you to re-enact two key scenes from G.I. Joe: The Movie. The cobra can serve as the snake javelin that Serpentor almost killed Duke with, and can also serve as Cobra Commander in his snake state when he persistently annoyed poor Roadblock by repeating, "Was once a man!"<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 5) Freedom</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="gij25sik4.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/gij25sik4.jpg" height="140" width="300" />​</span><br />Freedom was the bald eagle teamed with Spirit, the Native American tracker. He was also the living mascot of the Joe team's American spirit, perfect for those posed, patriotic group shots the Joes liked so much.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 4) Alligator</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/736px-Croc_Master.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/736px-Croc_Master.jpg','popup','width=736,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="736px-Croc_Master.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/736px-Croc_Master-thumb-536x436.jpg" height="436" width="536" /></a>​</span><br />In what is apparently a running joke, every version of Cobra henchman Croc Master comes with a pet alligator. "Alligator Master" doesn't have the same ring, we suppose. Either way, it's still a pet alligator on a leash, and that is awesome.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 3) Polly</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="2855511264_c48141af66.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/2855511264_c48141af66.jpg" height="500" width="375" />​</span><br />Polly the talking parrot managed to fly a fine line between being annoying and endearing, but he earns a high spot on this list because he was an integral part of the whole package of greatness that was G.I. Joe sailor Shipwreck. Shipwreck's look and personality seemed patterned after Jack Nicholson in the Last Detail (and he also unfortunately looked like a lost member of the Village People). He was the team's wiseass and Polly was his foil. Polly even turned a bit creepy during Shipwreck's extended drug-induced hallucination in "There's No Place Like Springfield."<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 2) Junkyard</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="mbcard_mutt.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/mbcard_mutt.jpg" height="416" width="290" />​</span><br />Just for the record, Junkyard was the Joe team's resident Rottweiler and Mutt was his even more vicious human trainer. They also had the distinction of being the first human/animal pair in the Real American Hero toyline, back in 1984. A fixture of both the cartoon and comics, Junkyard sadly went to Doggie Heaven in the comics due to old age, but his son, Junkyard, Jr., entered the fray with Mutt to take a bite out of Cobra's butt. And yes, they were probably both doing the biting.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 1.25em;"><b> 1) Timber</b></span><br /><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/snakeeyes_timber._mib.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.toplessrobot.com/snakeeyes_timber._mib.jpg','popup','width=1064,height=1500,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="snakeeyes_timber._mib.jpg" src="http://www.toplessrobot.com/assets_c/2009/09/snakeeyes_timber._mib-thumb-500x704.jpg" height="704" width="500" /></a>​</span><br />There have been many Snake-Eyes figures over the decades, but the prize gems are the instances when the Joe team's mute ninja came packaged with his pet wolf, Timber. They are a dynamic pair, one clothed all in jet black and one sporting stark white fur. (Sometimes Timber is painted black, too, and that's just a shame.) They go together like the two halves of a black and white cookie and rival Constable Fraser and Diefenbaker of Due South for best human/wolf pairing. Timber played a role in Marvel's G.I. Joe comic book series and died of old age in the Devil's Due series, but not before siring a litter of little Timbers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.toplessrobot.com/2009/09/the_17_coolest_gi_joe_and_cobra_animal_sidekicks.php">Original here</a>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-54759096591973170182009-09-16T23:28:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:30:54.808-07:00Coldplay Settles Joe Satriani Lawsuit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/SrHXXRXyMRI/AAAAAAAAB0w/D-n0TapMPI8/s1600-h/coldjoe-200.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/SrHXXRXyMRI/AAAAAAAAB0w/D-n0TapMPI8/s400/coldjoe-200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382319824484577554" border="0" /></a><br /><p>Coldplay and Satriani have settled their legal disputes and the guitarist’s lawsuit alleging copyright infringement has been dismissed.</p> <!--/post-excerpt --> <p>Last Winter guitar virtuoso <strong>Joe Satriani</strong>, sued <strong>Coldplay</strong> for ripping off his 2004 track “<strong>If I Could Fly</strong>” for their own Grammy-nominated hit “<strong>Viva La Vida</strong>.” According to court documents obtained by <a href="http://news.justia.com/cases/featured/california/cacdce/2:2008cv07987/432491/" target="parent"> <strong>Justia News</strong></a>, the lawsuit was <strong>dismissed</strong> “upon Stipulation” by Judge Dean D. Pregerson, and “each party bears [their] own cost.”<br /><img style="padding: 8px; float: left; margin-top: 13px;" src="http://www.revivl.com/images/joe.jpg" alt="" /><br />More than likely the two have agreed on some sort <strong>financial</strong> conclusion to get this train wreck of a case over with. I actually feel bad for <strong>Coldplay </strong>on this one. It’s just a melody line and <strong>similar ideas</strong> come close to overlapping all the time. I mean come on, everyone writes in the same <strong>keys</strong> using the same <strong>scales </strong>(major, minor, blues) over similar <strong>tempos</strong>.</p> <p>It’s doubtful but even if <strong>Coldplay</strong> does listen to <strong>Satriani</strong>, anyone who writes music knows that some things can come out on a subconscious level without you having a clue. It’s not usually intentional and a lot of times it may be too late before you realize that it is similar to a song you have listened to before. If anyone should know this, it’s <strong>Satriani </strong>who seems to be writing the same songs over and over again since “<strong>The Extremist</strong>“. Then again maybe he doesn’t realize it if it is being done on subconscious level. Oh man we’re getting deep here.</p><p><a href="http://revivl.com/?p=835">Original here</a><br /></p>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-25686027037883891152009-09-16T23:26:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:28:01.065-07:00The Ten Greatest Films of Steven Soderbergh<div>Posted by <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/vh_profile/28/Turk182">Turk182</a> in <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/blog/lists">Lists</a>, <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/blog/editors">Features</a></div><p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;">With <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/castandcredits/18303/Steven-Soderbergh">Steven Soderbergh</a>'s latest slice of cinematic greatness hitting theaters this week in <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1701480/The-Informant"><i>The Informant!</i></a>, we thought we'd take a look back at the amazing career of one of the most important filmmakers of the last two decades. With as impressive a range of films as anyone working today, what's remarkable about Soderbergh is his ability to go from completely mainstream blockbusters like the <i>Ocean's</i> franchise to much smaller films like <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1691783/Bubble"><i>Bubble</i></a> to something in between like <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1693189/The-Good-German"><i>The Good German</i></a> (cast was mainstream but concept was definitely not). He's completely unpredictable and his work ethic should be inspiring to everyone. The one thing his films have in common is that you can tell that Soderbergh loves making film. How else do you explain releasing <i><a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1700597/Che">Che</a>, <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1701638/The-Girlfriend-Experience">The Girlfriend Experience</a>,</i> and <i>The Informant!</i> in less than a year's time? He's passionate about his craft and inspiring in his refusal to deliver anything predictable.<br /><br />Most directors don't have three films that diverse on their ENTIRE resume and the fact that all three are excellent is all-the-more amazing. Soderbergh has already had three periods of brilliance. The first came when he changed the face of independent cinema with <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1029926/sex,-lies-and-videotape"><i>Sex, Lies and Videotape</i></a> and followed it up with an amazingly unique series of films including <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1083832/Kafka"><i>Kafka</i></a> and<i> <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1092334/King-of-the-Hill">King of the Hill</a></i>. The independent film movement was decidedly different in the late 1990s as it was in the late 1980s when Soderbergh first came on the scene, so Steven went mainstream but brought his own energy and talent to a ridiculously good string of popular films like <i><a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1667203/Out-of-Sight">Out of Sight</a>, <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1678944/Traffic">Traffic</a>, </i>and <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1677473/Erin-Brockovich"><i>Erin Brockovich</i></a>. To this viewer, Soderbergh entered his darkest period in the mid-2000s by going too much "Inside Hollywood" with films like <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1683827/Full-Frontal"><i>Full Frontal</i></a> and the first <i>Ocean's</i> sequel. But in the last few years, Soderbergh has perhaps pulled off his greatest feat by blending all the different directorial personas of his past from the independent maverick who might have made a film like <i>The Girlfriend Experience</i> to the more mainstream filmmaker who puts Matt Damon in <i>The Informant!</i> And he's doing some of the best work of his career.<br /><br />Skipping the TV work and his part of <i>Eros</i>, Steven Soderbergh has given us twenty complete films (viewing <i>Che</i> as one) to choose from and it was actually very difficult to whittle this list down to ten. Despite some respected critics who claim otherwise, <i>Ocean's Twelve</i> is Soderbergh's biggest misstep in my eyes. One man's "subversive" is another's "narcissistic, boring, and stupid." <i>Full Frontal</i> and <i>Schizopolis</i> can be immediately scrapped for most of the same reasons. But everything else should be seen and would be recommended. <i>Gray's Anatomy</i> doesn't have the impact that makes me remember it well enough to include (besides, <i>Swimming to Cambodia</i> is a better Spalding Gray film anyway) and <i>The Good German</i> was undeniably flawed, even if I think it got unjustly slammed by most people.<br /><br />As for true runner-ups – <i>Kafka</i> was a daring choice for a second film; <i>King of the Hill</i> is perhaps the most underappreciated-by-the-public film in his career; <i>Ocean's Thirteen</i> was a lot more fun than it was given credit for being; <i>Erin Brockovich</i> probably would have made the list if I hadn't seen it recently and thought it looked extremely dated; and as much as I truly want to love <i>Solaris</i>, I just don't. Perhaps it is being too familiar with the original but there's something about Soderbergh's <i>Solaris</i> that strikes me much like Van Sant's <i>Psycho</i> – I'd rather see the original.<br /><br /></span> </p> <div align="right"> <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/blog"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><i>by Brian Tallerico</i></span></a> </div> <div align="right"> </div> <div align="right"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>**********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>10. <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1682713/Ocean%27s-Eleven"><i>Ocean's Eleven</i></a> (2001)</b></span></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="265" width="320"> <param name="width" value="320"> <param name="height" value="265"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u7VTkceSsEw&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u7VTkceSsEw&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" height="265" width="320"></embed> </object> </div> <p> </p> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"> Probably the most straight-up popular film on this list (if you gauge popularity by being played on basic cable interminably), <i>Ocean's Eleven</i> represents Soderbergh playing with a classic representation of the essence of cool (in the rat pack) that clearly had an impact on him personally, but also just trying to deliver a film that will leave audiences smiling on their way out the door. After the incredibly serious one-two punch of <i>Erin Brockovich</i> and <i>Traffic,</i> which had both come out only the year before, could you blame a director for wanting to get together with an amazing ensemble and have some fun in the city of sin? When the <i>Ocean's</i> films work, which is in most of the first and third and some of the second film, that's what they do best, create an infection of the joy of the con and the beautiful men and women involved in the game.<br /><br /></span> </p> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>**********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>9. <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1650637/The-Underneath"><i>The Underneath</i></a> (1995)</b></span></span> </div> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><br /></span> </p> <div style="text-align: center;"> <img src="http://www.movieretriever.com/images/partner/blogs/underneath.jpg" height="400" width="220" /> </div><br /><br /><p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"> God, I wish Soderbergh would make another noir (although he arguably would again in the neo-noir <i>The Limey,</i> which you'll find further up this list). 1995's <i>The Underneat</i>h is an underrated attempt at the genre fueled by a great performance from the always-excellent William Fichtner and turns from Peter Gallagher and Elizabeth Shue before they became so predictable. The final act holds it back from greatness but <i>The Underneath</i> proved that Soderbergh could make movies for the masses. After <i>Sex, Lies, and Videotape</i>; <i>Kafka</i>; and <i>King of the Hill</i>, it looked like Soderbergh might always be a director who appealed more to the arthouse than the mainstream. <i>The Underneath</i> was when I realized that Soderbergh would eventually not be just a Sundance darling but someone who would probably take the stage at the Oscars (which he would just a few years later). It's not that <i>The Underneath</i> is Oscar-caliber filmmaking, but it's where I think Soderbergh really developed into the director who would make most of the films on the rest of this list, including the blockbusters, independent experiments, and award-winners.<br /><br /></span> </p> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>**********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>8. <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1701638/The-Girlfriend-Experience"><i>The Girlfriend Experience</i></a> (2009)</b></span></span><br /></div> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><br /></span> </p> <div style="text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="267" width="433"> <param name="width" value="433"> <param name="height" value="267"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u4A2xCwQsMo&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u4A2xCwQsMo&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" height="267" width="433"></embed> </object> </div> <p> </p> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Proof that Soderbergh isn't concerned about expectations and simply makes the films he WANTS to make can be seen in the excellent <i>The Girlfriend Experience</i> from earlier this year. This is evidence of Soderbergh telling the stories that interest him; ones he wants to tell by experimenting with the form. <i>TGE</i> is about the life of a high-priced escort (Sasha Grey) and is shot on digital video with almost entirely unbroken takes. It looks both amazingly refined and feels voyeuristic at the same time. The design of <i>Girlfriend</i> is subtle but remarkable and Soderbergh proves to have an eye for talent as Grey is simply great, bringing a genuine quality to the role that so many actresses would have turned into melodrama or missed entirely. I love <i>Girlfriend</i> because it shows Soderbergh taking chances with subject matter and style. Track it down on DVD on September 29th.<br /><br /></span> </p> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>**********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>7. <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1691783/Bubble"><i>Bubble</i></a> (2005)</b></span></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="265" width="320"> <param name="width" value="320"> <param name="height" value="265"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HN9tYb7Q1jA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HN9tYb7Q1jA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" height="265" width="320"></embed> </object> </div> <p> </p> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Probably the least seen film on this list, <i>Bubble</i> is disturbingly underrated. It's probably unlikely to become your favorite film but there's a mastery of craft on display in <i>Bubble</i> that's mind-blowing to this viewer and I think the reason I rank it so high is because I see it as the opening act to the latest chapter of Soderbergh's career, a step back from the mistakes I think he made in the mid-2000s. Made for under $2 million, shot on digital video, largely improvised, and released on DVD four days after being released in theaters, <i>Bubble</i> represents Soderbergh experimenting with the form in much the same way he did with his breakthrough <i>Sex, Lies, and Videotape.</i> He's not only playing with the delivery structure of film but he's playing with the expectations of what an audience brings to a film when they see a director's name above a title and driving home that you should have none when it comes to his films.<br /><br /></span> </p> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>**********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>6. <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1700597/Che"><i>Che</i></a> (2008)</b></span></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="274" width="445"> <param name="width" value="445"> <param name="height" value="274"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fqTw2dtVQzw&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fqTw2dtVQzw&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" height="274" width="445"></embed> </object> </div> <p> </p> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"> Oh, <i>Che.</i> The lengthy, heated debates I've gotten into about Soderbergh's epic about the failure of revolution are one of the reasons I love it. When someone tells me they hated <i>Che,</i> I smile. It's one of the few films of the last few years that I think is honestly worthy of discussion. You were bored during the second half of <i>Che</i>? What if you were supposed to be? It's a film about the fizzling out of the passion required for revolutionary action. I think <i>Che</i> is remarkable in its construct with each driven action of the first half matched by apathetic failure in the second half. With Benicio Del Toro giving arguably the best performance in all of the Soderbergh films (if it's not this one it's probably the one he gave in <i>Traffic</i>), I find <i>Che</i> mesmerizing. With critics and movie goers constantly telling me that they wish more filmmakers would take honest risks, I feel like we need to support experiments like <i>Che</i>. You say <i>Che</i> was a difficult film? What if it was supposed to be? Shouldn't the life of someone as complex as Che Guevara be more than disposable entertainment?<br /><br /></span> </p> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>**********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>5. <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1701480/The-Informant"><i>The Informant!</i></a> (2009)</b></span></span> </div> <p> </p> <div style="text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="268" width="435"> <param name="width" value="435"> <param name="height" value="268"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZR-YaikU_x4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZR-YaikU_x4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" height="268" width="435"></embed> </object> </div> <p> </p> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Soderbergh's newest is a wonderful comedy that gets richer in memory and discussion, as all great films do. Damon gives the performance of his career as Mark Whitacre, a man who is so delusional that he basically lives inside his own head. Like a lot of Midwesterners, Whitacre has read a few too many Crichton and Grisham novels and when he becomes involved in an international, billion-dollar investigation, he makes mistake after mistake. Damon is simply perfect in the role and Soderbergh's direction is masterful, making for a film that's almost jarringly unusual at first. But once you get on the wavelength of this nearly screwball story of a man who poisoned nearly everything around him with his own delusions, it is a wonderfully brilliant examination of high-level greed and stupidity. (Come back for more on <i>The Informant!</i> with our full-length review on Friday.)<br /><br /></span> </p> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>**********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>4. <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1675777/The-Limey"><i>The Limey</i></a> (1999)</b></span></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="265" width="320"> <param name="width" value="320"> <param name="height" value="265"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gJojTdaCWu8&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gJojTdaCWu8&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" height="265" width="320"></embed> </object> </div> <p> </p> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Terence Stamp simply rocks in<i> The Limey</i>. Giving one of the most driven, remarkable performances of his career, Stamp stars as Wilson, a violent Englishman who heads to the city of angels to get revenge for the death of his daughter. Thrilling from beginning to end, <i>The Limey </i>transcends its genre by hinting at how Soderbergh would later experiment with the form through unusual editing and flashback techniques. <i>The Limey</i> is one of my personal favorites because it brilliantly displays Soderbergh's multi-faceted abilities as a director. A lot of directors can make a taut thriller but very few can make one with a performance as complex as Stamp's in the lead role and break so many of the traditional rules of the genre while still providing an intense, riveting experience.<br /><b><br /></b></span> </p> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b> **********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>3.<i> <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1667203/Out-of-Sight">Out of Sight</a></i> (1998)</b></span></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="265" width="320"> <param name="width" value="320"> <param name="height" value="265"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/A_GOrRyhABg&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/A_GOrRyhABg&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" height="265" width="320"></embed> </object> </div> <p> </p> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;">Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing, <i>Out of Sight</i> is an underrated classic, a film that turned George Clooney into the modern Cary Grant and a film that thoroughly entertains from first frame to last. I grew up on films like <i>North by Northwest</i> and <i>Charade</i>, films with charming leads, gorgeous women, and intriguing mysteries and those films defined my love for the medium. That love is there in <i>Out of Sight. Out of Sight</i> is a direct descendent of those films, a masterpiece of cool style and clever dialogue. It is one of Soderbergh's best-directed films by far, a movie that gets better every time I see it, feeling more like a modern classic with each passing year.<br /><br /></span> </p> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>**********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>2. <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1678944/Traffic"><i>Traffic</i></a> (2000)</b></span></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="265" width="320"> <param name="width" value="320"> <param name="height" value="265"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gjpadtJs9QA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gjpadtJs9QA&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" height="265" width="320"></embed> </object> </div> <p> </p> <p> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;">What more is there to say about <i>Traffic</i>? It's ambitious, flawless, and riveting filmmaking and probably Soderbergh's most universally-acclaimed film ... for good reason. <i>Traffic</i> worked different, related narratives into a full experience long before the narrative structure had reached the point of over-saturation. With a massive running time, huge ensemble, and daring subject matter, <i>Traffic</i></span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> was a risk in every way and it paid off with four Academy Awards, including Best Director, Supporting Actor, Editing, and Adapted Screenplay. (And it should have won Best Picture over</span> </span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><i>Gladiator.</i>) Soderbergh had displayed incredible technical and storytelling ambition with small films like <i>Kafka </i>and <i>The Limey</i> but <i>Traffic</i> proved that the scope of the film wouldn't dictate his willingness to take risks. All directors should follow his lead.<br /><br /></span> </p> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><b>**********</b></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"> <span style="font-size:100%;"><b>1. <a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1029926/sex,-lies-and-videotape"><i>Sex, Lies, and Videotape</i></a> (1989)</b></span></span> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" height="265" width="320"> <param name="width" value="320"> <param name="height" value="265"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QKiUajROL-0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;"> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QKiUajROL-0&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;" height="265" width="320"></embed> </object> </div> <br /><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"> What criteria should be used to pick a director's best film? If we're talking influence, nothing touches <i>Sex, Lies, and Videotape,</i> a movie that really changed the game when it came to the potential of independent film. If we're talking performance, no one in the cast was ever better than they were here. And if we're talking storytelling, <i>Sex, Lies, and Videotape</i> is as timelessly riveting as anything the man has made in the twenty years since. Yes, it looks a bit like a product of its time, but that's not as much of an issue as with other films because it's an essential part of the film. <i>Sex, Lies, and Videotape</i> put a stamp on the end of the selfish era of the 1980s and ushered in an era where technology, whether it be videotape, computers, or your damn Facebook page, would become a major part of the way men and women interact. Witty, clever, honest, and fascinating, <i>Sex, Lies, and Videotape</i> won several major awards, including the Palme D'Or, and became a cultural touchstone for the generation that would follow. Seeing <i>Sex, Lies, and Videotape</i> made me want to become a writer in the hope that I could somehow bring work this good to a wider audience. No film by one of my favorite directors was more personally motivating, and, so, I can't claim any was better.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.movieretriever.com/blog/433/the-ten-greatest-films-of-steven-soderbergh">Original here</a><br /></span>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-75153510010784727192009-09-16T23:22:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:26:20.114-07:00Burt Reynolds In Rehab, Found Lying In Pool Of Blood<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/SrHWQb3BiVI/AAAAAAAAB0o/CiqbtMZBwhE/s1600-h/s-BURT-REYNOLDS-REHAB-large.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 190px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/SrHWQb3BiVI/AAAAAAAAB0o/CiqbtMZBwhE/s400/s-BURT-REYNOLDS-REHAB-large.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5382318607529249106" border="0" /></a></div><br /><p>Burt Reynolds <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20090916/us-people-burt-reynolds-rehab/">has checked into rehab</a> in West Palm Beach to be treated for an addiction to painkillers, following an allegedly grisly and bizarre incident in late August. He was found semi-conscious and covered in blood in his Hobe Sound, Florida, home, <a href="http://www.nationalenquirer.com/enquirer_world_exclusive_burt_reybnolds_rehab_for_booze_pills/celebrity/67322">the National Enquirer reports</a>. </p> <p>"The houseman found Burt lying in a pool of blood. He'd fallen and was badly cut. The houseman drove him to the hospital. But this time, Burt was behaving strangely, and doctors were so concerned about his state of mind that they sent him to the county mental health facility in West Palm Beach," <a href="http://www.nationalenquirer.com/enquirer_world_exclusive_burt_reybnolds_rehab_for_booze_pills/celebrity/67322">a source told the tabloid</a>.</p> <p>His admission to rehab may not have been entirely voluntary. The facility allegedly refused to release Reynolds unless he agreed to head straight to rehab. </p> <p>"He's been increasingly abusing booze and prescription drugs, mainly painkillers. There have been many times recently when he's been completely out of it, and twice in the last few months he's ended up at the ER," the source said. "...Burt wasn't happy about it, but he checked in, went through detox and then joined a regular 30-day rehab program."</p> <p>Take what you want from the Enquirer's report, but the tabloid has <a href="http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/65199">gotten it</a> right <a href="http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/65997">before</a>. Reynolds' manager, meanwhile, has put forth a less colorful version of the events that landed the 73-year-old actor in rehab.</p> <p>"After a recent back surgery, Mr. Reynolds felt like he was going through hell and after a while, realized he was a prisoner of prescription pain pills,"<a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20304865,00.html"> he said in a statement to People</a>. "He checked himself into rehab in order to regain control of his life. Mr. Reynolds hopes his story will help others in a similar situation. He hopes they will not try to solve the problem by themselves, but realize that sometimes it is too tough to do on their own and they should seek help, as he did."</p><p><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/16/burt-reynolds-in-rehab-re_n_289212.html">Original here</a><br /></p><span style="display: none;"><div id="new_selection_block0.8571372133924124" style="border: medium none ; overflow: hidden; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><br /><br />Read more at: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/16/burt-reynolds-in-rehab-re_n_289212.html" target="_blank_">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/16/burt-reynolds-in-rehab-re_n_289212.html</a></div></span>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-29979516448543710992009-09-16T23:20:00.000-07:002009-09-16T23:22:03.728-07:00Misdirection: When Hollywood Directors Take Credit For Movies They Didn’t Direct<div class="news-copy">Hollywood is a <a href="http://www.dailyfill.com/Beyonce-Knowles-Brings-Home-VMA-Video-of-the-Year-35014/" target="_new">self-congratulatory industry</a>. It devotes millions in time and money to constantly patting itself on the back. But it's even more unbelievable to be self-congratulatory about a project you had virtually nothing to do with. Increasingly, famous Hollywood directors are "presenting" movies. They neither directed nor produced these movies, but for the sake of clout, marketing, and getting more people in the theatre, 'presenters' seem to be needed. Too bad if the real director did all the work and now their name is eclipsed by Spielberg, Scorsese or <a href="http://www.dailyfill.com/Whos-Your-Favorite-Tarantino-Character-Ever-33354/" target="_new">Tarantino</a>. Here is a list of the biggest names in Hollywood's “misdirection.” <h1>1. Steven Spielberg</h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/0f3e57153d0b4108_bc55937b76c99e9d_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">You'd think the (arguably) most successful director of all time would have his plate full. Apparently not. The films Spielberg has leant his name to are impressive: <i>An American Tail</i>, <i>Tiny Toon Adventures</i>, or <i>Animaniacs</i> to begin. While Spielberg acts more as an executive producer, rather than the common presenter, it must suck to direct the classic <i>The Goonies</i> or <i>The Gremlins</i>, and no one remembers your name. Richard Donner and Joe Dante anyone? <object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pWgc8Ute2tU&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pWgc8Ute2tU&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><h1>2. Quentin Tarantino</h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/05933e59740649f9_864badfe1274d54e_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">Tarantino is talented, famous and revered by audiences. He's one of the few directors (often) more famous than the actors in his films. Yet, he is not shy to "present" films he had absolutely nothing to do with. Usually Tarantino attaches his name to Asian action films he loves. Tarantino "presented" <i>Hero</i> directed by Zhang Yimou and <i>The Protector</i> directed by Prachya Pinkaew. The best job he did of presenting was <i>Iron Monkey</i>, a film from Hong Kong director Yuen Woo-Ping. This movie was released in 1993. Tarantino presented this film in its US release in 2001. Nothing like an 8-year-gap to really hone your presenting skills. Tarantino spread his love to some Americans, as well. He was the executive producer, for example, on Eli Roth's <i>Hostel</i>.<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jYbaveZ0NYY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jYbaveZ0NYY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><h1>3. Francis Ford Coppola </h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/3bdf0ab8e90f4757_a5577ca56a8aaaed_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">Creating <i>The Godfather</i> franchise and <i>Apocalypse Now</i> wasn't enough for Coppola - he had to start presenting movies himself. Even though 1987's <i>Barfly</i> was directed by Barbet Schroeder, written by Charles Bukowski and starred Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway, it apparently needed Coppola's presenting skills to really get some name recognition. Although Coppola's executive producer credit didn't do much to help Chatrichalerm Yukol's <i>The Legend of Suriyothai</i>, an epic Thai historical drama. Not that anyone saw it. Then again, Coppola's last film as director was <i>Youth Without Youth</i>. Nope, no one saw that one either.<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SrpTDaSjfaM&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SrpTDaSjfaM&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><h1>4. Martin Scorsese</h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/ce4875220492466e_8e66125cb93a3eaf_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">Scorsese's name is synonymous with gritty, crime films so when he presented 2008's Italian modern mob drama <i>Gomorrah</i> at least that made some sense. But who thinks Shakespeare when they hear the name Scorsese? <i>Love's Labour's Lost</i> directed by renowed Shakespearean actor/director Kenneth Branaugh and produced by Miramax was presented to US audiences by Martin Scorsese? Maybe any attempt at Shakespeare starring Alicia Silverstone should take any help it can get.<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vd5hGeqyGzY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vd5hGeqyGzY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><h1>5. Michael Bay</h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/1df3886c04794114_91a76b66fc9b6286_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">While Bay's summer has been consumed with the massive success of Transformers 2 not to mention the idiotic <a href="http://www.dailyfill.com/Transformers-Crew-Rips-Megan-Fox-A-New-One-35147/" target="_new">ramblings of its hottie lead Megan Fox,</a> Michael Bay had time to lend his name to <i>Horsemen</i>, a Seven-ish ripoff starring Dennis Quaid. <i>Horsemen</i> is directed by Jonus Akerlund and also stars <i>Crouching Tiger</i>, <i>Hidden Dragon</i> star Ziyi Zhang. Maybe if Akerlund is lucky, Zhang will be as nutty as Fox and get his name out there since he actually did all the work for the film. Bay must want to do to horror/thriller films what he did to action films, which was make them big and sucky, because he recently produced <i>The Unborn</i>, starring Meagan Goode who bears an uncanny resemblance to Megan Fox. <i>The Unborn</i> was written and directed by David S. Goyer, but who cares. Michael Bay needs his name on everything in 2009.<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dzu7ed4jUrQ&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dzu7ed4jUrQ&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><h1>6. Ron Howard</h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/7bb599b4c4a14500_ab83e894f50df9b7_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">It's easy to understand every man's secret desire to be an astronaut, especially if you made <i>Apollo 13</i> and got to use all of NASA's official stuff. Apparently the 16 executive producers of <i>In The Shadow of the Moon</i> were not enough, neither was the participation of real astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. They needed Ron Howard to "present" this film. <object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ltpUEO1YD6o&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ltpUEO1YD6o&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><h1>7. Spike Jonze</h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/78afc26d01c2474f_83be1323bd1ce42d_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">Ever since Spike Jonze brought audiences the very original, quirky <i>Being John Malkovich</i> his name brings a certain coolness to projects. However, it's questionable that his name helped Tarsem Singh's visually stunning <i>The Fall</i>, although the poster looked really cool.<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iO0LYcCoeJY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iO0LYcCoeJY&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><h1>8. Robert Zemeckis</h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/6a5831e05b464be8_b81780b92a4aa666_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">Zemeckis, best known for directing all the <i>Back to the Future</i> films, not to mention the little indie film <i>Forrest Gump</i>, also presented the world to a little known New Zealand director, Peter Jackson. Zemeckis must feel pretty good about himself, or maybe he just taught Jackson a lesson about filming trilogies all at one time. Zemeckis first 'presented' Jackson's film <i>The Frighteners</i> starring Michael J. Fox. See, it's all coming full circle now.<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pq5xEOEEAa4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Pq5xEOEEAa4&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><h1>9. Spike Lee</h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/c2c79f16caeb4120_95f73a588fe50ee7_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">When Spike Lee isn't picking fights with Clint Eastwood or watching the NY Knicks, he's usually directing or producing films. But even Lee is not afraid to get in the presenter game. He leant his name to Kevin Willmott's <i>C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America</i> a British 'documentary' that takes a satirical and scary view if the South had won the Civil War. There isn’t an embeddable version of it, but <a href="http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3871277337/" target="_new">you can view the trailer to CSA here.</a> <h1>10. Joe Roth</h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/91394daf683c4222_8e445e89b4014306_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" /><div class="news-copy">While Joe Roth's early successes came producing movies such as <i>Young Guns</i>, <i>Bachelor Party</i>, and <i>Major League</i>, somehow the studio releasing <i>The Exorcist III</i>, totally NOT in the same genre mind you, needed Joe Roth as presenter. He was also an executive producer on <i>The Exorcist III</i>, which seems normal, but presenter? Who even knows Joe Roth? Well, he did direct <i>Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise</i>. <h1>11. Jonathan Demme </h1></div><img src="http://images.moviefill.com/aec075d08a3a47c4_a4b9ca9bf027e17d_o.jpg" height="300" width="500" />Jonathan Demme, who won an Academy Award for directing <i>The Silence of the Lambs</i> and most recently directed <i>Rachel Getting Married</i>, for some reason needed to present 1997's <i>Ulee's Gold</i> directed by Victor Nunez. It didn't seem to matter that the lead actor, Peter Fonda, was one of the most highly regarded actors of his generation or that the film featured a young but still sexy Jessica Biel. No, the studio called for the virtually nameless Jonathan Demme to step up to bat, and step up the bat he did.<br /><br /><a href="http://moviefill.com/Misdirection-When-Hollywood-Directors-Take-Credit-For-Movies-They-Didnt-Direct-18554/">Original here</a>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-39475111686179077722009-08-14T11:32:00.000-07:002009-08-14T11:33:23.354-07:00TARANTINO RULES SET WITH AN IRON DILDO<h1><a href="http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2009/08/tarantino-rules-set-with-an-iron-dildo" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to TARANTINO RULES SET WITH AN IRON DILDO"><br /></a> </h1> <div class="post-body"> <p><a href="http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/?attachment_id=16852" onclick=""><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-16852" title="dildowall-basterds" src="http://cdn.fd.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/dildowall-basterds.jpg" alt="" width="678" height="433" /></a></p> <p>Apparently there was a running joke on the set of <em>Inglourious Basterds</em>, whereby if a castmember was caught sleeping, they would get their picture taken with a giant purple dildo, and that giant purple dildo was named Gerry. I would’ve called it “Danny Masterson.”<a href="http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/?attachment_id=16853" onclick=""><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-16853" title="bradpittdildo" src="http://cdn.fd.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/bradpittdildo.jpg" alt="" width="176" height="256" /></a></p> <blockquote><p>Actor Michael Fassbender admits he was one of the only castmates not to make the board - because he found ways of sleeping in secret. He tells WENN, “Big Gerry was a giant purple dildo, very large in girth and length. Basically, anybody that was caught going to sleep would get photographed with Big Jerry the dildo somewhere near their face and put up on the Board of Shame. The idea was three strikes and you’re out. This kind of really worried me because I have a tendency to nap. If I have 10 or 15 minutes you’d find me in a corner underneath something but I never got caught. Brad (Pitt) was up there once on the Board of Shame, Gedeon Burkhard got caught twice, Diane (Kruger) was on the board… There was a lot of people on that board.” [<a href="http://widget.uproxx.com/b/3/http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/38103038.html" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/filmdrunk/community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/38103038.html');" target="_blank">ONTD</a>]</p></blockquote> <p>Well isn’t that cute. It’s nice to see that even people living the dream, making the kind of movies most people can only dream of making, with some of the biggest stars in the world can still find the time to have fun. Heartwarming, really. It’s kind of like how sometimes I shower just to put on pajamas, and only because I can’t stand the smell of myself. Blogging is so glamorous. Hey, know who else has a wall of dildos? You guessed it, your mom.</p><p><a href="http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2009/08/tarantino-rules-set-with-an-iron-dildo">Original here</a><br /></p></div>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-54109621731164940242009-08-14T10:54:00.000-07:002009-08-14T11:32:21.150-07:00EXCLUSIVE: Jerry O'Connell Enrolls in Law School<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/SoWtb-CKpxI/AAAAAAAAB0g/1cqus6CgJbs/s1600-h/o-connell-law-b.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jz0vR0Ouas4/SoWtb-CKpxI/AAAAAAAAB0g/1cqus6CgJbs/s400/o-connell-law-b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369888826729342738" border="0" /></a><br /><p><b>Jerry O'Connell</b> has gone back to school, his rep confirms to <b>Usmagazine.com</b>.</p> <p>The actor, 35, recently enrolled at Los Angeles' Southwestern Law School.</p> <p>"I had always planned on continuing my education at some point and because my wife is working on <i>Eastwick</i>, which is on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. this fall, and I'm home all day with the girls, I figured I would take a couple of classes at night," O'Connell tells <b>Us</b>. "It was either that or play video games until 2 a.m."</p> <p><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/photos/stars-in-glasses" target="_blank">Do these stars look smarter with glasses?</a></p> <p>O'Connell "is very excited to be starting his law school education here at Southwestern," Leslie Steinberg, the school's Assistant Dean of Public Affairs, tells <b>Us</b>. "He just had orientation last week, and he started classes this week."</p> <p><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/photos/see-kate-gosselin-in-high-school" target="_blank">See celebs' high school year book photos.</a></p> <p>Steinberg says that even though O'Connell -- who <a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/news/rebecca-romijn-jerry-o-connell-welcome-twin-girls" target="_blank">welcomed twins</a> with wife <b>Rebecca Romijn</b> last January -- has "been out of school for awhile," he's "very excited and enthusiastic" about his studies.</p> <p><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/photos/stars-with-twins" target="_blank">See which other stars have twins.</a></p> <p>She adds that O'Connell decided to enroll there because he was "very impressed with the faculty and the vibe here. This is brand new to him as well. He's very much looking forward to his education.</p> <p>A fellow student posted on <a href="http://twitter.com/CelebSightings" target="_blank">Twitter's CelebSightings</a> earlier this week: "Actor Jerry O'Connell is at orientation @ Southwestern Law School. He is an entering night student, mingling @ mixer."</p> <!-- Exclusive -->Join Us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Us-Weekly/9034820804" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/usweekly" target="_blank">Twitter</a> for even more up to the minute celebrity news and photos!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/news/jerry-o-connell-enrolls-in-law-school-2009138">Original here</a>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-77502427239036986902009-07-21T08:41:00.000-07:002009-07-21T08:43:39.897-07:00Sean Bean to star in HBO's 'Thrones'<div class="entry-body"> <p><em><a href="http://reporter.blogs.com/.a/6a00d83451d69069e20115721c683b970b-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Boromir" class="at-xid-6a00d83451d69069e20115721c683b970b" src="http://reporter.blogs.com/.a/6a00d83451d69069e20115721c683b970b-320wi" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; width: 253px; height: 248px;" /></a> This is great news for an eagerly anticipated series.<br /><br />By Borys Kit and Nellie Andreeva</em></p><p>Sean Bean has nabbed the lead in "Game of Thrones," HBO's adaptation of the George R.R. Martin fantasy-book series. Tom McCarthy is directing; David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who wrote the screenplay, are executive producing.</p> <p> Mark Addy is in final negotiations to also join the production. Kit Harrington, Jack Gleeson and Harry Lloyd also have come aboard. </p> <p> The books revolves around a battle among seven kingdoms and between two ruling families for control of the Iron Throne, the possession that ensures survival through a 40-year winter to come. </p> </div> <p> Bean will play Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, known for his sense of honor and justice, who becomes closest adviser to King Robert (Addy).</p><p> Harrington will play Jon Snow, Bean's bastard son, and Lloyd will play Viserys, a powerless ruler who seeks to marry off his sister to a powerful king. Gleeson will play Joffrey, King Robert's son.</p><p> Peter Dinklage also is in the cast for the production, which is in the pilot stage and begins shooting in October in Ireland.</p><p> Guymon Casady, Carolyn Strauss, Vincent Gerardis and Martin also are executive producing. </p><p> "Thrones" marks the latest fantasy epic-style production for Bean. He recently wrapped shooting on "Percy Jackson &amp; the Olympians," an adaptation of Rick Riordan's children's book. Bean, repped by CAA, also has "Black Death," a supernatural thriller set during England's first bubonic plague, in postproduction.<br /></p><p><a href="http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/07/sean-bean-to-star-in-hbos-thrones.html">Original here</a><br /></p>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-84459661152930482432009-07-21T08:39:00.000-07:002009-07-21T08:41:00.032-07:00McCartney Makes History at Citi Field With Billy Joel, Beatles Hits<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i.realone.com/assets/rn/img/6/2/4/6/29236426-29236431-slarge.jpg" /><span style="font-size: 0.8em;"><i>Photo: Bill Bernstein/MPL Communications Ltd/Getty </i></span><br /></div><p><br />Forty-four years after <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thebeatles">the Beatles</a>‘ legendary show at Shea Stadium, <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/paulmccartney">Paul McCartney</a> returned to Flushing Meadows, Queens, last night to perform the first concert at Citi Field, Shea’s replacement. The sold-out crowd was clearly nostalgic for the Beatles’ heyday, but not as much as McCartney himself. “These occasions are so cool,” he said early on in the show, as he walked to the front of the stage to absorb the crowd’s adoration. “I’m just going to take a sec to soak it all in.”</p> <p>During the first encore McCartney spoke about his most recent appearance in the area, <a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/07/21/paul-mccartney-joins-billy-joel-at-shea-rocks-quebec/">guesting with Billy Joel</a> during his Last Play At Shea concert. “That gentleman is with us tonight,” he said as Joel ran onstage, sending the audience into hysterics. He played piano and sang a rollicking duet with Macca on “I Saw Her Standing There.” Joel, currently on tour with Elton John, looked extremely sunburned, but clearly relished the opportunity to play again with his hero again.</p> <p>For the rest of the show McCartney stuck to his tried and true concert formula: a smattering of new songs in the beginning, a handful of Wings hits and a fuckload of Beatles classics. Each time he’s toured recently he’s revived a couple Fab Four songs that haven’t been played since their original recording. This time around he dug out “Day Tripper,” and “A Day In The Life.” “Day Tripper” was scorching and clearly should have been unearthed years ago, while “A Day In The Life” was surprisingly effective and emotional considering that the original was a product of so much studio magic. At the end of the Wings cut “Let Me Roll It” the band played a snippet of “Foxy Lady,” followed by a story about McCartney seeing Jimi Hendrix cover a track from <em>Sgt. Pepper</em> in London days after it came out.</p> <p>The middle section was heavy on material from McCartney’s recent Fireman album, and obscurities like “Flaming Pie” and “Here Today.” It also began raining, and one could feel the energy being sucked out of the stadium as masses of people begin sitting down to huddle under umbrellas and makeshift hats. When McCartney sat down at the piano for “Live And Let Die,” however, the rain stopped and the booming pyrotechnics instantly brought the crowd into the game. From here it was one Beatles song after another: “Lady Madonna,” “Yesterday,” “Get Back,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and the inevitable crowd sing-along on “Hey Jude.” Best of all was “Helter Skelter,” which managed to nearly sound as hard and menacing as the original.</p> <p>The Beatles’ 1965 and 1966 Shea Stadiums gigs were certainly landmark cultural moments, but as musical events they were quite lousy. The sound was run through the stadium’s public address system, rendering it all but inaudible — regardless of the fact that the girls spent the entire time screaming at the top of their lungs. They only did a dozen songs during a barely 30-minute set. Last night, McCartney played for nearly three hours, in a voice that sounds remarkably unaffected by the passage of time. The only song played at both the 1965 and 2009 shows was “I’m Down.” While nothing could beat <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwqTrtri1J0" target="blank">this version</a> (watch John Lennon play the keyboards with his elbows), the 2009 rendition was light years better than you’d expect from a man three years short of his 70th birthday.</p><p><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/07/18/mccartney-makes-history-at-citi-field-with-billy-joel-beatles-hits/">Original here</a><br /></p>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-71378735485962806742009-07-21T08:37:00.000-07:002009-07-21T08:39:40.933-07:00Metallica’s Lars Ulrich is Proud of Napster’s Destruction<span class="post_credit">Written by <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/author/enigmax/" title="Posts by enigmax">enigmax</a><br /><br /></span><div class="single-excerpt"> <p>Just days after the BPI’s Geoff Taylor said that the industry screwed up in its handling of Napster, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich indicates he has no such regrets, declaring his pride for his hand in the destruction of the file-sharing pioneer but giving credit to the Napster management for painting the band as greedy luddites.</p> </div> <p><img src="http://torrentfreak.com/images/lars.jpg" alt="lars" align="right" />In recent times it’s become something of a trend in the music industry to admit that its handling of Napster left a lot to be desired. Of course, everyone was telling them this exact same thing 10 years ago. </p> <p>While some, such as the BPI’s Geoff Taylor, have shown at least some sign of <a href="http://www.bpi.co.uk/press-area/news-amp3b-press-release/article/ten-years-of-napster-7c-geoff-taylor-bbc-comment-piece.aspx">regret </a>(although not necessarily backed up by actions), others are adamant that crushing the file-sharing pioneer was the right thing to do.</p> <p>Despite making some uncharacteristically pragmatic comments about P2P last year when his album ‘Death Magnetic’ appeared on the Internet, and despite trying file-sharing himself fairly recently when he <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/metallica-frontman-pirates-his-own-album-090305/">downloaded</a> the album using BitTorrent, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has no regrets over his part in the neutering of Napster.</p> <p>Ulrich and Metallica generated years of hate with their aggressive anti-Napster stance in the early part of the century, after discovering their entire back catalogue was available through the service.</p> <p>But now, speaking with Kerrang!, Ulrich <a href="http://www.pr-inside.com/ulrich-proud-to-crush-napster-r1396291.htm">says</a> he did the right thing in bringing Napster down, standing firmly behind his decision, expressing pride where others today are expressing cautious regret.</p> <p>“Being right about Napster doesn’t mean that much to me. I don’t find any particular glory in being proved right about it,” he said.</p> <p>Turning to Napster’s management, Ulrich said he admired them for managing to paint the band as greedy rock stars who were behind the times, although it hardly seems fair to give Fanning and friends all the credit for that - the band did more than enough to nurture that impression too.</p> <p>“You have to give props to the other side because they did run a brilliant campaign, and they did portray me and Metallica as being greedy rock pigs and luddites who were completely behind what was happening technologically,” said Ulrich.</p> <p>“But I am proud of what we did, and what we stood up for,” he added.</p> <p>Indeed, today’s file-sharing community owes a debt of gratitude to Ulrich and Metallica, because without their efforts to destroy Napster there wouldn’t have been the massive effort by others to create the many improved replacements available today.</p><p><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/lars-ulrich-proud-of-destruction-of-napster-090718/">Original here</a><br /></p>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-46286449224835537862009-07-21T08:36:00.000-07:002009-07-21T08:37:29.530-07:00Steven Sommers Dismisses G.I. Joe Firing Rumors as 'Complete Lies'; Sienna Miller Admits It Isn't the 'Best Acting Work We've Ever Done'Written by <a href="http://www.movieline.com/author/seth-abramovitch/">Seth Abramovitch</a><br /><br /> <!-- /entry-header --> <div class="entry-body"> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="joestrike.jpg" src="http://www.movieline.com/images/joestrike.jpg" class="mt-image-left" style="margin: 0pt 20px 20px 0pt; float: left;" width="225" height="225" /></span>Any movie based on a line of boys’ attack-Barbies, directed by the man who brought you <em>Van Helsing</em>, and starring Marlon Wayans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt without the least bit of irony has turkey written all over it, and nothing <a href="http://www.movieline.com/2009/04/joe.php">in the trailer</a> for <em><span class="caps">G.I.</span> Joe: The Rise of Cobra</em> suggests otherwise. Indeed, the signs were there early on, after a number of stunt mishaps narrowly averted serious disaster — though resulted in at least one cleavage-singeing for star Sienna Miller. She confirmed as much to Australian press at a stop on the movie’s worldwide promotional tour, saying, “Luckily it wasn’t my breasts, it was the bit in-between. It got a bit burnt when an explosion got a bit close.”</p> <p>But it would take more than some barbecued boobies to get Paramount to eject the man behind it all from the production. Denying widespread rumors that he’d been dismissed by the studio after some disastrous test screenings, Sommers said:</p> <blockquote><p>‘It’s complete lies. I have always had final cut of the film. People just make stuff up. You have to really screw up to get fired from a movie. The stigma of that would kill it. This is not the case.’ </p></blockquote> <p>Meanwhile, newly married star Channing Tatum explained how his position as an opinionless patriot nearly prevented his involvement — until he read the script, and realized that what Sommers and Paramount were trying to do was create a military strike-force movie, without the military:</p> <blockquote><p>‘When I was first approached about the role I thought, ‘Aww man, how are you going to make a movie about <span class="caps">G.I.</span> Joe in a time of war?’</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>‘Then I read the script and it was nothing to do with the military at all. ‘I’m a big supporter of the soldiers and the military and I don’t have a view on the war at all, I’m not a political person.</p></blockquote> <p>In the end, the film’s stars seem to want to keep expectations realistic:</p> <blockquote><p>Actor Channing, 29, said: ‘I hope it does <span class="caps">OK’, </span>while a less tactful Sienna added: ‘You know, GI Joe, it’s not going to be the best acting work we’ve ever done.’</p><p><a href="http://www.movieline.com/2009/07/steven-sommers-calls-gi-joke-firing-rumors-complete-lies-sienna-miller-acknowledges-it-isnt-the-best.php">Original here</a><br /></p></blockquote></div>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-10228596555067436832009-07-21T01:20:00.000-07:002009-07-21T01:25:09.246-07:00Growing Pains: When Child Stars Become Adults<p>Growing up isn't always easy, so imagine having to grow up on movie screens in front of an audience of millions. Sure, the money probably eases the burden... but we digress. </p> <p>Watching the <em>Harry Potter</em> kids as <em>Half-Blood Prince</em> rolls out seems to reveal a relatively well-adjusted trio of stars who've avoided the pitfalls of celebrity life and kept their wits about them (though not always their clothes, as Daniel Radcliffe showed in his <em>Equus</em> theatre debut).</p> <p>But how will the kids fare post-<em>Potter</em>? Will they transition successfully into adult roles? We decided to take a look back at 25 memorable child stars -- and the courses their careers took.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_natalieportman.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Natalie Portman</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>A 12-year-old couldn't ask for a cooler film debut than that of a gun-toting, Lolita-esque muse to a hardened New York hit man. In 1994's <em>Leon</em>, Natalie Portman gets to swear, smoke, wear hot pants and learn how to take out a target -- only Luc Besson would dare get away with it -- thus preparing herself for a successful adult career as the muse of a Sith Lord, a terrorist, and Devendra Banhart. But really, Natalie -- what the hell was with <em>Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium</em>?</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_eddiefurlong.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Edward Furlong</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Ah, Eddie. He burst onto screens wearing a Public Enemy T-shirt, robbing ATMs and teaching killer robots how to high five as the young k.d. Lang -- sorry, John Connor -- in 1991's <em>Terminator 2: Judgment Day</em>, but the ensuing years have been anything but '<em>eeeasy</em> money'. 1998's trio of <em>Pecker</em>, <em>American History X</em> and <em>Detroit Rock City</em> looked promising, but Furlong's battle with drugs sidelined his CV -- and meant we had to deal with Christian Bale as John Connor in <em>Terminator Salvation</em>. Uh, thanks for that. Still, at least Uwe Boll's giving him work.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_dakota.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Dakota Fanning</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>There are those who'll insist Dakota was never really a child actress -- just an adult trapped in a miniature body. True, there's something eerily preternatural about her performances, even going back to 2001's <em>I Am Sam</em> -- when she was just seven -- and she was definitely too old to be playing with pigs and spiders in <em>Charlotte's Web</em>. But the world wasn't ready for Dakota to grow up, as the rape-gate controversy over the quickly-shelved <em>Hounddog</em> illustrated. Now, she's ready for proper young adult, starring in <em>Twilight: New Moon</em>, and as proto-punk '70s riot grrl Cherie Currie in <em>The Runaways</em>. Hello daddy, hello mom...</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_lindablair.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Linda Blair</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>To be fair, Linda Blair was never going to live up to -- or live down -- her portrayal of <em>The Exorcist</em>'s Regan, a... 'troubled'... child given to decorating her bedroom with projectile vomit, descending staircases upside-down, and telling men of the cloth exactly what their mothers liked to suck in Hell. Her roller-skating teenage return in the train wreck <em>Exorcist II</em> quickly gave way to a rut of straight-to-video B-movies in the 1980s, while she later spoofed her most famous role with 1990's <em>Repossessed!</em>, resurfaced for a cameo in Wes Craven's <em>Scream</em>, and recently appeared in an episode of TV's <em>Supernatural</em>. Fitting enough.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_haleyjoelosment.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Haley Joel Osment</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Teenage growth spurts can be painful at the best of times, but when your awkward years are captured in a police mugshot for a DUI, it's all the worse. <em>That</em> 2006 photo of Haley Joel Osment's post-car accident arrest stunned everyone who remembered him as the silent, ethereal little boy who saw dead people in <em>The Sixth Sense</em>, played a creepy kinder-droid in Spielberg's <em>A.I.</em> and then, well... it's not that HJO disappeared exactly, but did anyone see <em>Home of the Giants</em>? He's only 21, so let's give his body time to align and then we'll see where he goes...</p><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_elizabethtaylor.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Elizabeth Taylor</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Hard to imagine the fabulously over-the-top 77-year-old icon was once a child star, but there it was: baby-faced Liz cuddling up to a border collie in 1943's <em>Lassie Come Home</em> and a prized horse in 1944's <em>National Velvet</em>. Her adult career is legendary, of course, with two Best Actress Oscars, star turns in <em>Cat On A Hot Tin Roof</em>, <em>Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?</em> and <em>Giant</em>; not to mention an infamously stormy marriage to Richard Burton and a collection of husbands almost as long as her list of film credits.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_kehuyquan.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Ke Huy Quan</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>He got his break trying to pick Dr. Jones' pockets and went on to become the adventurer's trusted sidekick in <em>Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom</em> -- proving useful in a lop-sided fight against evil henchmen and wicked Maharaja's with voodoo dolls -- but Ke Huy Quan may just be as fondly remembered as Data, he of the malfunctioning booby-trap gadgets in 1985's <em>The Goonies</em>. Seems his fight-training paid off, too: he's since worked as a stunt choreographer on <em>X-Men</em> and Jet Li's <em>The One</em>.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_kristenstewart.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Kristen Stewart</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Okay, so she wasn't exactly stretched to do much of it in <em>Twilight</em>, but we all knew Kristen Stewart could act -- cast your memories back to the barely 12-year-old's petrified turn as Jodie Foster's diabetic daughter in David Fincher's <em>Panic Room</em> and you can see a child actress with an intense range... of fear, at least. No doubt her ex-child prodigy co-star offered her some tips because Kristen's career has been on a sure and steady climb ever since -- with the obligatory kids' films (the underrated <em>Zathura</em>) giving way to parts in <em>Into the Wild</em> and the <em>Twilight Saga</em>, which has made her one of the world's most recognizable stars. Next up: loving rock and roll as Joan Jett in <em>The Runaways</em>. Yowl.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarsdrewbarrymore.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Drew Barrymore</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Drew's rise and fall and rise again is the oft-told stuff of pop culture legend: a descendant of the famous Barrymore acting clan, the 7-year-old with the blonde pigtails melted the world's heart as Gertie in <em>E.T.</em> and, just a few years later, had succumbed to the abyss of Hollywood's party drugs. Yet what looked like a classic case of child-star burnout turned around in the '90s -- we're saying precisely at the moment she appeared as a Swedish receptionist in <em>Wayne's World 2</em>; or gave a 'revealing' interview on <em>Letterman</em> -- and, post-<em>Charlie's Angels</em>, Barrymore is a successful producer (thank her for <em>Donnie Darko</em>) and about to be first-time director, with Ellen Page's all-girl roller derby <em>Whip It!</em> due later this year.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarsmacaulay.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Macaulay Culkin</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>It's a filmic image as enduring as Mйliиs rocket in the <em>Moon</em>, <em>Citizen's Kane</em>'s Rosebud or Godard's <em>Breathless</em> jump cuts: yes, we're talking about 10-year-old Mac's hands clasped to his face in Edvard Munch-like horror in <em>Home Alone</em> -- arguably the greatest ever moment in cinema history. (What? We poll experts on these things, you know.) Culkin was the biggest thing in child stardom since Shirley Temple and for a brief moment in the early '90s he reigned supreme: a hit sequel, hangin' with Michael Jackson; a pretty moving turn in <em>My Girl</em>. But age and -- dare we say, a limited acting range -- caught up with Culkin, whose roles in the likes of <em>Party Monster</em> required more than cute McCallister face-pulling. We'll always have his weirdly hot Sonic Youth video, though.</p><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarswininaryder.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Winona Ryder</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>"My whole life is a dark room," deadpanned Winona Ryder as the comically morbid kid in Tim Burton's <em>Beetlejuice</em>. "One big, dark room." Okay, so things haven't gotten quite so grim for "Wino Forever" (as ex Johnny Depp renamed his tattoo of her), but after an opening resume that included <em>Heathers</em> and <em>Edward Scissorhands</em> -- and an Oscar nomination for 1994's <em>Little Women</em> -- the actress appears to have steadily drifted sideways, appearing most recently in stuff that's missed theatrical release altogether. We could make some easy wisecrack about kleptomania here, but whatever she's doing to keep her looks -- it's clearly working.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_leodicaprio.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Leonardo DiCaprio</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Hey, Mr. Serious Scorsese Muse and Eco-Crusader -- you were in <em>Critters 3</em>! Yep, Leo's less-than-auspicious debut predicted little of what his career would become; yet the guy quickly demonstrated his electric talent as a teen in <em>What's Eating Gilbert Grape?</em> and <em>The Basketball Diaries</em>. <em>Titanic</em> teen-idolatry, running with the so-called "Pussy Pack" and overexposure almost finished him, so DiCaprio wisely removed himself from the public eye for a couple of years, reemerging with Spielberg (<em>Catch Me If You Can</em>), Scorsese (<em>Gangs of New York</em>, et al) and Ridley Scott (<em>Body of Lies</em>). What we wouldn't give to see the dude lighten up a little, though...</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarschristianbale.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Christian Bale</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Ben Stiller said that, while working on <em>Empire of the Sun</em>, he conceived the idea for <em>Tropic Thunder</em>, his war-movie satire rife with maniacal, egotistical actors who love to shout a lot. Could he have been reminiscing about his 13-year-old co-star Christian Bale, who hurled perfectly eloquent obscenities at incompetent director Steven Spielberg and ordered John Malkovich to get out of his shot? We'll never know, but Bale's performance -- based on J.G. Ballard's memoirs -- shows a kid with already enormous intensity. The rest is history -- Patrick Bateman, Bruce Wayne, <em>Reign of Fire</em>. What's that, you don't remember that movie? Helicopters <em>and</em> dragons -- <em>together</em>? Bale is next up in <em>Public Enemies</em>, and is filming <em>The Fighter</em> with David O. Russell. </p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_judygarland.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Judy Garland</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Dead at age 47 from a drug overdose, Judy Garland's was a tumultuous career marked by dizzying highs -- and tragic lows. Already a child star at MGM in the '30s, she may have been 17 by the time she stepped down the Yellow Brick Road as Dorothy, but her role in <em>The Wizard of Oz</em> is immortalized among the great childhood performances. Garland's adult career was marred by pills and alcohol abuse -- some claimed the studios insisted she was overweight, leading to her self-destructive binges -- and the actress attempted suicide several times. Yet with 1954's <em>A Star Is Born</em> she emerged triumphant -- only to be gone, sadly, just a few years later.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarsjodiefoster.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Jodie Foster</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Stick with psychos, kids, and you'll do just fine. 13-year-old Jodie Foster's big break (and first Oscar nomination) came as Travis Bickle's obsession -- a preteen prostitute in <em>Taxi Driver</em> -- and she would go on to win her two adult Oscars playing a rape victim in <em>The Accused</em> and matching wits with Hannibal Lecter in <em>The Silence of the Lambs</em>. (On the other hand, a Foster-fixated wackjob <em>did</em> attempt to assassinate ex-President Ronald Reagan by claiming the actress made him do it.) Still at the top of her game, Foster will next direct Mel Gibson in <em>The Beaver</em> (jokes after class, please). But would everything have been different if Disney had released her from her contract for a shot at Princess Leia?</p><p><br /></p><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_jakelloyd.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Jake Lloyd</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>You kinda have to feel a bit bad for Jake Lloyd: aside from his CGI Rasta pal Jar Jar Binks, the young Anakin Skywalker copped a large percentage of the flak from incensed fan-boys demanding a refund for their violated childhoods in the fallout from <em>Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace</em>. And that was more or less it for Lloyd, who seemed none-too-fussed about the whole thing -- as <a href="http://www.scifitv.com.au/Blog/2009/07/jake-lloyd-exclusive-ten-years-after-ep-one/" class="external text" title="http://www.scifitv.com.au/Blog/2009/07/jake-lloyd-exclusive-ten-years-after-ep-one/" rel="nofollow">this candid interview reveals</a> -- and headed off to college (as a film major, no less). Then again, we're sure the merchandising royalties from one of the ten highest-grossing films of all time will ease his bad memories.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarsnataliewood.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Natalie Wood</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Her role in 1947's holiday classic <em>Miracle on 34th Street</em> would have sealed her movie memory, but child star Natalie Wood was only beginning -- it was her roles as a young woman that will be best remembered. Over the next two decades she starred opposite James Dean in <em>Rebel Without A Cause</em>, headlined musical gem <em>West Side Story</em>, and appeared alongside Warren Beatty in <em>Splendor in the Grass</em> (both from 1961). Her later career was less eventful, save for the fact that, well, she drowned -- at just age 42, having filmed her last role opposite Christopher Walken in the sci-fi <em>Brainstorm</em>.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarskirsten.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Kirsten Dunst</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>"I want some more," hissed Kirsten Dunst's tortured bloodsucker in <em>Interview With the Vampire</em>, all golden tresses and dripping red fangs like some Shirley Temple of the underworld. And she got it: after doing kid duties in films like <em>Jumanji</em> and <em>Small Soldiers</em>, she transitioned elegantly into quality teen roles both haunting (<em>The Virgin Suicides</em>) and archly bubble-headed (<em>Bring It On</em>). <em>Spider-Man</em>, <em>Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</em> and <em>Marie Antoinette</em> would follow, confirming her place as one of her generation's most talented.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarsshia.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Shia LaBeouf</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>"Who is this guy and how does he seem to be everywhere all of a sudden?" exclaimed some as the teenager apparently groomed by Dreamworks for instant stardom started opening number one films with <em>Disturbia</em> and <em>Transformers</em> and landing the plum role as Jones Junior Junior in <em>Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull</em>. Shia's success wasn't quite overnight, however: he'd done his time on Disney's TV series <em>Even Stevens</em>, appeared in kids' film <em>Holes</em>, and guested on episodes of <em>The X-Files</em> and <em>Freaks and Geeks</em>. Now, he's the more or less the biggest star in the universe -- whether you like it or not.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarschristinaricci.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Christina Ricci</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Miss Ricci's always had a thing for the dark side -- she was, after all, the sardonic face of Wednesday Addams in the two films of the classic TV series, before taking the Tim Burton rite-of-passage opposite Johnny Depp in <em>Sleepy Hollow</em>. But even that couldn't prepare us for the emotionally dark places the actress was drawn to: from her precocious role in Ang Lee's <em>The Ice Storm</em> to her lascivious entrapper in <em>The Opposite Sex</em>, Ricci has shown she's willing to bare her soul -- and, in <em>Black Snake Moan</em>, everything else -- for her art. Plus, her haircut might have been the best thing about <em>Speed Racer</em>...</p><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_annapaquin.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div> <div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Anna Paquin </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Winning an Oscar at 12 -- the second-youngest actress to do so -- for <em>The Piano</em> in 1994 was either a ticket to a downhill ride or the beginning of something illustrious. In truth, Anna Paquin's career since has been a mixed bag, her most visible work being her role as Rogue in the <em>X-Men</em> trilogy. Beyond the franchise, though, she's shown range in smaller films (<em>Almost Famous</em>, the excellent <em>The Squid and the Whale</em>) and her current gig headlining TV's <em>True Blood</em> has seen her maintain her profile. Not so sure about the hair.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstarscoreyfeldman.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Corey Feldman</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>As one half -- the more charismatic half, you say? -- of late '80s teen heartthrobs the Coreys, Feldman and his screen pal Haim were cemented onto bedroom walls and into a time and place that it was always going to be tough to escape from (just try to watch 1995's <em>Dream A Little Dream 2</em> -- we dare you). Long before that particular dreamboat ran aground, though, Corey Feldman had appeared in a bunch of the '80s most cherished films: there he is playing with Gizmo in <em>Gremlins</em>, shooting his mouth off in <em>The Goonies</em> and coming of age in <em>Stand By Me</em>. <em>The Lost Boys</em> should have made him a star. So what happened? May we direct you to last year's <em>Lost Boys: The Tribe</em>, perhaps?</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_carriehennALiens-COPYRIGHT.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Carrie Henn</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Who could forget wide-eyed, pint-sized lost urchin Newt in <em>Aliens</em>? (Well, who but David Fincher, anyway, who decided to reintroduce her as a frozen corpse in <em>Alien 3</em>). In many ways she was the soul of James Cameron's revered sci-fi sequel, compelling Sigourney Weaver's Ripley to motherhood instinct action and inspiring the movie's great line: "Get away from her, you bitch!" So, with just the one movie to her credit -- and what a movie at that -- it makes you wonder where she vanished to. The answer: Henn, now 33, is a school teacher. (Thanks to Cplbeaudoin for the photo). </p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstastatum.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Tatum O'Neal</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>Sorry, Anna Paquin: Tatum O'Neal was all of 10 when she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in <em>Paper Moon</em>, the 1973 hit in which she played a diminutive grifter opposite her dad, Ryan. Unfortunately it was to be the high point of her career. After a couple of teen turns in <em>The Bad News Bears</em> and <em>International Velvet</em>, Tatum became better known for her marriage to tennis bad-boy John McEnroe, and -- if Michael Jackson's 2002 reminiscence is to be believed -- she was the raunchy starlet who attempted to deflower the shy young music star. O'Neal's recent drug busts for crack possession put her a long way from the glory child actor days, though she continues to get TV work.</p> <br /><div class="abstract" align="center"><img src="http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/news/au400childstars_shirleytemple.jpg" br="" width="400" height="225" /> </div><br /><div align="center"><strong> <span style="font-size: 13pt;">Shirley Temple</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: 13pt;"></span></strong></div> <p>The Queen Bee of child movie stars, Shirley Temple began her acting training at age three, and was a star at six, going on to appear in a string of popular hits during the 1930s. In 1935 -- now the ripe old age of seven -- the golden-curled one received a special 'miniature' Oscar from the Academy for her contributions. Now that's one good ship lollipop. You can't blame her from retiring from movies in 1949 -- aged <em>21</em>.</p><p><a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/harry_potter_and_the_half_blood_prince/news/1832431/growing_pains_when_child_stars_become_adults">Original here</a><br /></p>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4911274447313596241.post-65824809618302798832009-07-21T01:19:00.000-07:002009-07-21T01:20:49.782-07:00GEORGE LUCAS IS H’WOOD’S HIGHEST PAID<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/?attachment_id=4539" onclick=""><img style="width: 401px; height: 208px;" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4539" title="spielberg-lucas-southpark" src="http://filmdrunk.lg1x8.simplecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/spielberg-lucas-southpark.jpg" alt="" /></a></p> <p>Forbes’ list of Hollywood’s highest-paid dudes came out recently, and not surprisingly, the biggest fat cat is the big fat <a href="http://widget.uproxx.com/b/3/http://www.filmdrunk.com//ul/686-Alf-Lucas.jpg" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/filmdrunk/www.filmdrunk.com//ul/686-Alf-Lucas.jpg');" target="_blank">cat-eater</a> himself, <a href="http://widget.uproxx.com/b/3/http://www.uproxx.com/page/George+Lucas?pid=3" onclick="" class="UproxxULink" title="Find out more about &quot;George Lucas&quot;" target="_blank">George Lucas</a>. My question: if George Lucas is making $170 million a year and Jerry Bruckheimer $100, why are their movies still such sucky, shameless cash grabs? Once you’ve made more money than you could ever spend, wouldn’t you want to do something that you can actually be proud of? In Bruckheimer’s case, I think he’s just really lazy. “A movie about guinea pig secret agents? Sure. F*ck it, why not. I mean, we’ve already done rapping kangaroos.” As for George Lucas… I think it’s pretty clear that he’s a robot. A machine being controlled by others whose mission is only to make more money. And the pilot sits in his bullfrog chin.</p> <p>Here’s the top 10:</p> <p><span id="more-15765"></span></p> <blockquote><p>(numbers are from June 2008 to June 2009)</p> <p>1. George Lucas - $170 million<br />2. Steven Spielberg - $150 million<br />3. Jerry Bruckheimer - $100 million<br />4. <a href="http://widget.uproxx.com/b/3/http://www.uproxx.com/page/Jerry+Seinfeld?pid=3" onclick="" class="UproxxULink" title="Find out more about &quot;Jerry Seinfeld&quot;" target="_blank">Jerry Seinfeld</a> - $85 million<br />5. <a href="http://widget.uproxx.com/b/3/http://www.uproxx.com/page/Tyler+Perry?pid=3" onclick="" class="UproxxULink" title="Find out more about &quot;Tyler Perry&quot;" target="_blank">Tyler Perry</a> - $75 million<br />6. Dick Wolf - $75 million<br />7. Harrison Ford - $65 million<br />8. Adam Sandler - $65 million<br />9. Larry David - $55 million</p><p><a href="http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2009/07/george-lucas-is-hwoods-highest-paid">Original here</a><br /></p></blockquote>matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12553046054711154730noreply@blogger.com0